Californiabound27's US Immigration Timeline
Immigration Checklist for D & F:
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USCIS I-130 Petition:
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Dept of State IR-1/CR-1 Visa:
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USCIS I-751 Petition:
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USCIS N-400 Petition:
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IR-1/CR-1 Visa
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| Event |
Date |
| Service Center : |
Nebraska Service Center |
| Transferred? |
No |
| Consulate : |
Montreal, Canada |
| Marriage (if applicable): |
2013-12-24 |
| I-130 Sent : |
2014-04-09 |
| I-130 NOA1 : |
2014-04-23 |
| I-130 RFE : |
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| I-130 RFE Sent : |
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| I-130 Approved : |
2014-06-19 |
| NVC Received : |
2014-09-18 |
| Received DS-261 / AOS Bill : |
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| Pay AOS Bill : |
2014-11-17 |
| Receive I-864 Package : |
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| Send AOS Package : |
2014-11-17 |
| Submit DS-261 : |
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| Receive IV Bill : |
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| Pay IV Bill : |
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| Send IV Package : |
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| Receive Instruction and Interview appointment letter : |
2015-01-16 |
| Case Completed at NVC : |
2015-01-16 |
| NVC Left : |
2015-01-16 |
| Consulate Received : |
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| Packet 3 Received : |
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| Packet 3 Sent : |
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| Packet 4 Received : |
2015-01-16 |
| Interview Date : |
2015-02-26 |
| Interview Result : |
Approved
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Second Interview
(If Required): |
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| Second Interview Result: |
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| Visa Received : |
2015-03-05 |
| US Entry : |
2015-05-27 |
| Comments : |
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Processing
Estimates/Stats : |
Your I-130 was approved in 57 days from your NOA1 date.
Your interview took 309 days from your I-130 NOA1 date. |
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Port of Entry Review
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| Event |
Date |
| Port of Entry : |
Vancouver |
| POE Date : |
2015-05-27 |
| Got EAD Stamp : |
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| Biometrics Taken : |
Yes |
| Harassment Level : |
0 |
| Comments : |
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Lifting Conditions
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| Event |
Date |
| CIS Office : |
California Service Center |
| Date Filed : |
2017-03-31 |
| NOA Date : |
2017-04-03 |
| RFE(s) : |
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| Bio. Appt. : |
2017-05-02 |
| Interview Date : |
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| Approval / Denial Date : |
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| Approved : |
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| Got I551 Stamp : |
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| Green Card Received : |
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| Comments : |
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Member Reviews:
Consulate Review: Montreal, Canada
Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
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| Event |
Description |
| Review Date : |
March 8, 2015 |
| Embassy Review : |
This is my first post on VJ. To be honest I haven't had much of a need to post as there are so many awesome people on here who have already posted answers to all of my questions on almost every topic you can think of! Finding this community was the best thing that happened (other than being approved!) through the immigration process.
I finally have a moment to submit my review of my interview at the Montreal consulate. It was actually on February 26th but it has just been so crazy since then I didn't have a chance until now.
My interview was scheduled on Thursday, February 26th. I had to fly out from Vancouver so I booked my trip with a couple of extra days. Being with the kind of weather they are having over on the East coast I wanted to be sure I was safe.
I booked my trip using Expedia, it was easy and ended up saving a couple hundred dollars so I can't complain. I stayed at Le Square Phillips, about a two minute walk from the consulate. It is a little more on the pricier side, but it has a full kitchen in every suite, so I saved a ton of money on food as there is a super market about 4 blocks away from the hotel. It is very centrelly located. It was clean, the room was big, and they have a gym and indoor pool on the rooftop terrace. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful, if I ever had a reason to go back I would definitely stay there again.
Montreal is a beautiful city, it is unfortunate I had to go in winter during one of their nastier cold spells. The night before the interview was -30C! If you are going this time of year be sure to stay warm. It is COLD and windy in Montreal.
Now to the part that matters...
If you haven't already I would definitely check out Saylin's AWESOME thread with pictures and instructions for the consulate. The link is here: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/359761-montreal-consulate-picturesmaps/?hl=+montreal
If you follow this you will have no issues at all. I did everything that was mentioned and I was in and out of the consulate in under 45 minutes.
I will list the items I brought to the consulate below. Of course I was over-prepared but being that I had to pay $2000 for this trip and go across the country I wanted to be sure I didn't forget anything. I used plastic envelopes and a folder for all my things.
First Folder:
-Loomis deilvery confirmation letter
-P4/interview letter
-Copy of DS-260
Second Folder:
-Another copy of Loomis confirmation letter
-P4/interview letter
-2 Passport Photos
-Medical Exam (done by Dr. Cheema in Surrey, review to come)
-Originals and copies of all documents submitted (Birth certificate, Marriage certificate, police record)
-Copy of spouse's birth certificate
Copy of 2014 W2 of my spouse (We hadn't filed taxes yet)
Third Folder:
Evidence of relationship including greeting cards, wedding pictures, wedding invitation, FB history, Letters, wedding cards, airline tickets from visits, mail with both our names, bank statements from joint bank account.
Noticeably missing is the AOS, we hired an attorney who submitted everything for us along the way so the original for this was already at the consulate.
My interview was scheduled for 8:30am, but after reading about the way the consulate worked I just decided to be there as soon as they opened. I lined up outside the consulate as Saylin suggested at 7am and I was already third in line.
Exactly at 7:30 they opened the doors and ushered us all inside the tiny entrance (it was -22C that morning!). There was a lady standing just inside the door with a list of names. She asked you for your name, Loomis confirmation, and interview letter. Once you are checked in you walked a small flight of stairs and straight into security. Here they have you go put all your things in trays and walk through the metal detector. All I had was my jacket, scarf (which they asked me to remove) envelopes, and a small wallet. It is best to be really organised here because like I said I was third in line but the first out of security (in about 2 miuntes max) as people had belts and cell phones they had to take off or check in which delayed them. Once you get through security you go down some stairs. Again as Saylin suggested I headed straight for the elevator and sat in the first chair beside it. People slowly started to trickle in but the place fills up fast. Side note: I did see women with purses make it through, so I am not sure about how strict they are with what you bring in. Also, a man who sat beside me told me at least HALF of the people who were lined up were turned away at security, so make sure you know the rules and requirements before you go.
At exactly 8:00 a guard came down and told us to get in the elevator and take it to the 19th floor. Because I was right beside it I was the first one in and went straight to the back left corner of the elevator and faced the doors. When we got to the 19th floor I was the first out the door and went straight to the VISA receptionist. For immigrant VISAs they give you a number card, mine was number one. Non-Immigrant VISA (K) need to line up. Every thing is clearly marked and they separate the non vs immigrant VISAs.
I had barely sat down when number 1 was called about 5 minutes later. When I got to the window all she asked for was my passport, medical exam, and interview letter. I had to sign my passport as it was not signed on the inside. She took my fingerprints and then told me to sit down. She did not ask for anything else! Mind you all my originals were submitted with my petitions so they didn't need them.
At about 8:30 (twenty minutes later) I got called up for my interview. I was given an oath to read out loud and then they scanned my fingerprints again. I was asked the following questions:
Have you ever been convicted of a crime?
Is this your first marriage?
He then took a look at my packet and was a little concerned with the my spousees income from last year. Luckily I came prepared with the 2014 W2 which was much better and he was happy to see that. He advised me to have my spouse file her taxes ASAP and take a copy of the tax return to the border in case they had any issues with it there.
He asked if we had kids (My spouse has 1 from a previous relationship)
Asked again if this was a first marriage for both
Asked where she worked
Asked where she lived and where I would be residing.
Asked how many times we had met in person, when was the first time, and how much time.
He made a comment about not spending too much time together but then handed me the letter and said I am approving your VISA!
I almost don't rememeber what happened next as I was so over the moon with the approval. They did not ask for any evidence or anything else, I was waaay over prepared but it is better to be safe than sorry.
I was out of the interview in less than 10 minutes and out the door by about 8:45.
Overall everyone is nice and professional, but I would advise you to be prepared because that demeanor can change quickly.
I hope this helps! |
| Rating : |
Very Good |
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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
ver 5.0
