Consulate Review: Montreal, Canada
Review Topic: K1 Visa
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| Event |
Description |
| Review Date : |
September 15, 2009 |
| Embassy Review : |
Interview date was July 29th, 2009.
Short Version: The staff and guards were friendly, helpful, and I had a good experience!
Long Version:
Montreal is a beautiful city, at least where we stayed in Old Montreal! We were a bit far from the consulate, so we took a cab there and arrived just after 7am. There were 4 people ahead of us already! But I was happy to be close to the front of the line. While waiting, and obsessively going through my things, I noticed that I didn't have my photos. My fiance returned to the hotel just as the doors opened. The security guard told him that they would let him in when he returned. I was processed through and given the letter "E" but so nervous I could barely be happy. I waited outside the elevator. My fiance returned just as the doors were opening, but had not found the photos. LUCKILY! There is a passport photo booth downstairs, by the elevator! You have 4 poses. They are a bit light but they are acceptable. I made use of this machine to my great relief.
We went upstairs and the guard asked for the people with letters, and I went forward. We were directed to wait on the far side of the room. We waited for about 15 minutes, and were called to one of the back windows. The lady we spoke with was very nice, asked for my things politely, and was friendly. She said that everything was in order, and gave us the paper to go and pay. We went to the payment line, and waited for about 5 minutes there. It was a fairly busy day. After paying, we returned and showed our receipt, and then were asked to go back and wait for the interview.
We were called for the interview after about 10 minutes. We entered the tiny little room, and the interviewer greeted us. My fiance had a seat and I went to the glass and repeated the oath. The interviewer was an older guy, with grey hair and a mustache, and he was very friendly. He and my fiance started talking as my fiance works where the interviewer once worked. After a few minutes, he turns back to me and says, "unfortunately I can't approve your visa".....
.....
WHAT!?!!??
He explained that my vaccination record was incomplete. I said that I didn't understand. He explained that as I was 26 years old, I needed the HPV vaccination, which I did not have. I told him that the doctor that I saw, in Toronto at Dr. Seiden's office. It wasn't Dr. Seiden that I saw, it was another male doctor, whose name I don't remember. Anyway, he told me, that since I was on a K1 visa, that I could have my HPV immunization deferred to after I mvoed to the USA. He told me this would be easier, because then I could complete all three shots in the USA. I specifically asked him, if it would damage my visa application. He stated that it would not, and again said that it would actually be easier. SO, I opted to defer it.
The Dr. was WRONG! YOU NEED TO HAVE YOUR HPV VACCINE IF YOU ARE 26 and under, and a female!
Luckily, the interviewer listened to me, he took my vaccination record which the doctor had written on the deferral notice, and made copies. In the back I heard him speaking to someone, saying that they needed to call this doctor as he was giving out the wrong information. He returned to the room, and gave me a slip of paper. He said it was a re-entry paper, and that I needed to go to the walk-in clinic, and get the vaccination. He said that I could go and get it later, and reschedule the interview, or go that day, and come back with the proof, and get the visa. Obviously I opted to go straight away. We left the office; it was only about 9:50am. We walked to the doctor's office he had told me to go to, and went in and told them our problem. It was actually the panel physician approved for Quebec, Medisys. THey were very nice, and squeezed me in, and I received the vaccination. I then returned to the consulate and was allowed back through, and let up to the window to show my proof. The lady took it, rechecked a few things, and then.... "Congratulations!"
I was very happy, and relieved! The only bad experience was getting the wrong info from the doctor, who is supposed to be trained specifically to prevent that.
I received my Visa in the mail the following week. Yay! |
| Rating : |
Very Good |
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ver 5.0