Montreal Interview: Arrive at 7:30 and fill out a DS-230!!!

[JF_CIC 0]

I just got back from Montreal where my wife had her interview for her CR-1 yesterday. The good news is, she got approved!

We arrived at the consulate at 7:30 AM, and the guards were letting people in. After we went through security, there were just 2 couples in the waiting room where you wait for the elevator up to the 19th floor. We snagged the two seats closest to the elevator. At 8:00, another guard came down in the elevator and asked everyone who was applying for an immigrant visa to go up in the elevator. We got in the elevator, went to the back, and were the first ones to come out on the consulate's floor because the back door opens when the elevator gets up to the consulate.

We followed the staff to the place where you line up to get your number, and got called up to the window right away. But, there was a problem! Daylight Saving Time started on Sunday, but their systems didn't know that DST starts earlier in the year than it used to. For some reason, their system doesn't let them give out numbers until after 8:00 am. So, if any other VJers were there and wondering why we were slowing things down, now you know! After 10 minutes, they finally just gave us a post-it note with our number and sent us to the waiting area.

Our number got called at the next waiting area right away. Everything was in order, except that they didn't have a DS-230 from us (we'd done a DS-260 right from the start). He told us we would have to fill out a DS-230 by hand because they're still transitioning to the DS-260, even though we had a printout of the DS-260 with us. I think they just like looking at the DS-230 better while asking questions. He checked through our documents and asked us a few questions about how we met, where we were born, etc. I was a bit nervous and slipped up and said I was born in the US, which caused all kinds of confusion until we sorted that out!

Anyway, after we were done with the first agent, we went to the waiting room and filled out the DS-230. The worst thing was that, right as she finished copying all of the info from the DS-260, my wife remembered that we had originally filled out a DS-230, and I remembered that I didn't send it in and just put it in the immigration folder that I had with me. Grrrrrr!!!! We gave the form back to the first agent, he checked a few more things, took my wife's fingerprints, and then sent us back to the waiting room again.

The DS-230 thing ended up costing us a bunch of time. The two couples who were right behind us in line to get numbers finished up around 9:30. We ended up waiting until almost 11:00 to see the next immigration officer. We went into the booth, raised our right hands and swore to tell the truth, and then answered a few questions where he basically checked a few things from our forms. He looked at his computer for a bit, and then gave us the approval letter!

So, just like the title says, Jacques's guide to Montreal IR-1/CR-1 interviews is:

• Get to the consulate right around 7:30
  
• Sit near the elevator in the downstairs interview and then go to the back of the elevator so you're first in line to get a number at 8:00 am
  
• Make sure to bring a copy of a filled-out DS-230 with you
  

Edited March 16, 2011 by JF_CIC

[Vanessa in Texas 0]

I just got back from Montreal where my wife had her interview for her CR-1 yesterday. The good news is, she got approved!

We arrived at the consulate at 7:30 AM, and the guards were letting people in. After we went through security, there were just 2 couples in the waiting room where you wait for the elevator up to the 19th floor. We snagged the two seats closest to the elevator. At 8:00, another guard came down in the elevator and asked everyone who was applying for an immigrant visa to go up in the elevator. We got in the elevator, went to the back, and were the first ones to come out on the consulate's floor because the back door opens when the elevator gets up to the consulate.

We followed the staff to the place where you line up to get your number, and got called up to the window right away. But, there was a problem! Daylight Saving Time started on Sunday, but their systems didn't know that DST starts earlier in the year than it used to. For some reason, their system doesn't let them give out numbers until after 8:00 am. So, if any other VJers were there and wondering why we were slowing things down, now you know! After 10 minutes, they finally just gave us a post-it note with our number and sent us to the waiting area.

Our number got called at the next waiting area right away. Everything was in order, except that they didn't have a DS-230 from us (we'd done a DS-260 right from the start). He told us we would have to fill out a DS-230 by hand because they're still transitioning to the DS-260, even though we had a printout of the DS-260 with us. I think they just like looking at the DS-230 better while asking questions. He checked through our documents and asked us a few questions about how we met, where we were born, etc. I was a bit nervous and slipped up and said I was born in the US, which caused all kinds of confusion until we sorted that out!

Anyway, after we were done with the first agent, we went to the waiting room and filled out the DS-230. The worst thing was that, right as she finished copying all of the info from the DS-260, my wife remembered that we had originally filled out a DS-230, and I remembered that I didn't send it in and just put it in the immigration folder that I had with me. Grrrrrr!!!! We gave the form back to the first agent, he checked a few more things, took my wife's fingerprints, and then sent us back to the waiting room again.

The DS-230 thing ended up costing us a bunch of time. The two couples who were right behind us in line to get numbers finished up around 9:30. We ended up waiting until almost 11:00 to see the next immigration officer. We went into the booth, raised our right hands and swore to tell the truth, and then answered a few questions where he basically checked a few things from our forms. He looked at his computer for a bit, and then gave us the approval letter!

So, just like the title says, Jacques's guide to Montreal IR-1/CR-1 interviews is:

• Get to the consulate right around 7:30
  
• Sit near the elevator in the downstairs interview and then go to the back of the elevator so you're first in line to get a number at 8:00 am
  
• Make sure to bring a copy of a filled-out DS-230 with you
  

Congratulations!!!!!

[ravis 0]

Congratulations.

[Moosker 7]

Congrats! Glad it's over!

[OBX 51]

Congratulations!

[edsotherhalf 1]

Congratulations. thanks for the tip about the DS-230. I filled out the Ds-260, didn't think I needed the 230 but will take it along just in case.

I just got back from Montreal where my wife had her interview for her CR-1 yesterday. The good news is, she got approved!

We arrived at the consulate at 7:30 AM, and the guards were letting people in. After we went through security, there were just 2 couples in the waiting room where you wait for the elevator up to the 19th floor. We snagged the two seats closest to the elevator. At 8:00, another guard came down in the elevator and asked everyone who was applying for an immigrant visa to go up in the elevator. We got in the elevator, went to the back, and were the first ones to come out on the consulate's floor because the back door opens when the elevator gets up to the consulate.

We followed the staff to the place where you line up to get your number, and got called up to the window right away. But, there was a problem! Daylight Saving Time started on Sunday, but their systems didn't know that DST starts earlier in the year than it used to. For some reason, their system doesn't let them give out numbers until after 8:00 am. So, if any other VJers were there and wondering why we were slowing things down, now you know! After 10 minutes, they finally just gave us a post-it note with our number and sent us to the waiting area.

Our number got called at the next waiting area right away. Everything was in order, except that they didn't have a DS-230 from us (we'd done a DS-260 right from the start). He told us we would have to fill out a DS-230 by hand because they're still transitioning to the DS-260, even though we had a printout of the DS-260 with us. I think they just like looking at the DS-230 better while asking questions. He checked through our documents and asked us a few questions about how we met, where we were born, etc. I was a bit nervous and slipped up and said I was born in the US, which caused all kinds of confusion until we sorted that out!

Anyway, after we were done with the first agent, we went to the waiting room and filled out the DS-230. The worst thing was that, right as she finished copying all of the info from the DS-260, my wife remembered that we had originally filled out a DS-230, and I remembered that I didn't send it in and just put it in the immigration folder that I had with me. Grrrrrr!!!! We gave the form back to the first agent, he checked a few more things, took my wife's fingerprints, and then sent us back to the waiting room again.

The DS-230 thing ended up costing us a bunch of time. The two couples who were right behind us in line to get numbers finished up around 9:30. We ended up waiting until almost 11:00 to see the next immigration officer. We went into the booth, raised our right hands and swore to tell the truth, and then answered a few questions where he basically checked a few things from our forms. He looked at his computer for a bit, and then gave us the approval letter!

So, just like the title says, Jacques's guide to Montreal IR-1/CR-1 interviews is:

• Get to the consulate right around 7:30
  
• Sit near the elevator in the downstairs interview and then go to the back of the elevator so you're first in line to get a number at 8:00 am
  
• Make sure to bring a copy of a filled-out DS-230 with you
  

[Matt n Shannon 3]

Congrats!

[JeannieL 44]

Congratulations!