A Canadian citizen has received a US Green Card after a long and complex process, sharing the full timeline on Reddit to offer hope to others navigating the immigration system.
Initial Application and Early Hopes
The applicant, married in Canada in 2000, began the immigration process after the petition was submitted in August 2023. “The waiting process was painful to say the least. Originally the timeline said a few months, then when that was down to 1 week (late 2023) it was extended and no date was given,” the post stated. Plans to move to the US in spring or summer 2024 did not materialize, though the applicant was able to visit the US as a Canadian and spent June to early October 2024 in the country without issue.
DS-260 Visa Application and Interview Scheduling
In late November 2024, the I-130 petition was approved, and the applicant began the DS-260 Visa application. The application was submitted in mid-December, but initially included the wrong police background check. “Fast forward a few weeks and I received the correct background check, and submitted that. A week later the Visa was conditionally approved (Feb 2025) and now the waiting game for the interview,” the post explained.
By July 11, 2025, the interview was scheduled for September 11 in Montreal. The required medical exam was completed early in Vancouver while visiting the US.
Visa Approval and Green Card Arrival
The interview went smoothly in September, and by September 25, the passport and visa were ready for pickup, with a deadline of December 11, 2025, to enter the US. The applicant crossed the border by land on October 23, noting, “The process took about an hour; but I suspect if I didn’t have a vehicle to import, and a U-Haul full of our belongings, it would have taken much less time.”
USCIS ordered the Green Card to be produced on October 30, the Social Security Number arrived on November 3, and the Green Card itself was delivered on November 10.
“All in all, this felt like a long process, but I guess short considering some of the stories you read on here,” the post concluded, offering encouragement to others navigating the US immigration system.
