Interview Aug 15th - What to expect during and after?

[Found Frolicking 1]

Hi all,

Wife and I are very happy about the news, but worried about the whole process now. We want to fly out to Montreal (we live in Edmonton, Alberta, long trip) but are confused because we have to book a motel and flight back, but not sure when the visa will be ready after interview (2-3 days? Maybe more?), so we don't know how far to book these things.

I was reading that CR-1 applicants can get the visa/passport mailed when it's ready? How is this done? And would I be issued a U.S passport?

And if I have no choice but to pick up visa in person, then how long should I expect to wait? Would I have to fly back to pick it up?

A bit confused here. Any help would be appreciated.

[kashewmoo 9]

First and foremost, congratulations for your interview date! That's so very exciting.

I would go ahead and book both your flight and hotel. There are plenty of options near the consulate if you want to be a close walk away - I stayed at the Courtyard at Marriott downtown, and it was fantastic, though I did definitely pay a premium per night. I flew in on Sunday when my interview was on Monday morning, and I left Tuesday night (as I booked on air miles and didn't have much of an option of flight times; otherwise I would have left on Monday night). I was coming from Victoria, so just a bit further from you.

As per the interview letter, you need to register a local Loomis location for passport/visa pick up - create an account here, and follow the instructions. You cannot pick up your passport from the consulate, and you won't receive a US passport, either; that's only a possibility if you decide to file for US citizenship three years following your POE and are approved to be a naturalized citizen.

My visa was issued the same day of my interview, and I was able to pick it up at my local Loomis location on Friday, but this will vary from person to person, of course.

Best of luck! Feel free to check out my Timeline, as I've posted detailed reviews of both my interview as well as POE. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask!

[Found Frolicking 1]

Sorry, we're IR-1, not CR-1. My wife knows more than me about this, lol.

To clarify, being that we fall under the IR-1 category (married more than 2 years) and have a child together, is there good chance we would get the visa the same day as interview or a couple days later? Is it worth it signing up for Loomis then? Has anyone signed up for Loomis from Alberta and if so, how quick was delivery?

My sons birthday is Aug 31st (15 days after interview) and ideally we would like to spend it with family down there so were trying to figure out the most efficient way to go about this.

[kashewmoo 9]

Haha, no problem.

There's no real difference between IR-1 and CR-1 other than CR-1 will have to remove conditions upon two years of residency, and you'll be granted a ten year green card immediately. You still have to sign up for Loomis, but your passport likely won't take long to be returned. Again, seeing as mine had to make it to Vancouver Island, which is the furthest west in the country, I wouldn't worry about delivery in Alberta so long as the interview goes well.

My interview was on the 6/23, the visa was listed as issued a couple of hours later, and I picked it up by 6/26. I could have turned around and went through my POE any time after that, I just had loose ends I had to finalize before making the move.

Also, do make sure that you have your Loomis confirmation printed out and on hand for the interview. When I was there, they weren't letting people into the building who didn't have it.

[Found Frolicking 1]

Thanks for the quick reply (I made the 2nd post before seeing your 1st post, only 5 mins apart, so I apologize if it seemed like I didn't read your post thoroughly) The interview letter doesn't say anything about Loomis, but we will register anyways just to be safe. Thanks for clarifying a lot of this, much appreciated. Cheers.

[Flames9_RN 358]

Years ago, you could wait and pick up the visa pkg the same day, then it was the next day, and now they mail it to you....time have changed, some would say not for the better,lol

[Flames9_RN 358]

Years ago, you could wait and pick up the visa pkg the same day, then it was the next day, and now they mail it to you....time have changed, some would say not for the better,lol