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scottishlander

Montreal - Bringing Spouse to Interview

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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Canada
Timeline

Hi, my interview letter says the applicant has an interview. Can my spouse (petitioner) attend the visa interview with me? I always assumed that's how it happened but now I'm not sure after reading the letter and embassy webpage!

The letter says petitioners (my spouse) do not need to attend and that I should consult the embassy for the rules.

Then on the Montreal page it says:

"Consular-Related Visitors

The following persons may accompany a visa applicant during Consular-related visits:

  • Interpreter: Applicants may bring one interpreter if they do not speak English well enough to participate in an interview.

    Note: The working language of the U.S. government is English. The applicant is responsible for providing a translator for any language other than English, even if that language is an official language of Canada, i.e. French.
  • Special Needs Visitors: Applicants may bring one person to help if they are elderly, disabled, or if the applicant is a minor child applying for a visa.

Due to waiting room size, the large volume of applicants and the time required to screen consular clients, other accompanying persons cannot be admitted to the waiting room.

Drivers, friends, and extra relatives must wait outside or return to meet the applicant after the interview has been completed. The sole exception to this rule is applicants with minor children under the age of 18."

Can my spouse attend??? On the VisaJourney review page it says they can.

http://www.visajourney.com/consulates/index.php?ctry=Canada&cty=Montreal

I'm confused.

Thanks!

Edited by scottishlander
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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Canada
Timeline

That is a bit confusing. My husbands interview was in May (in Montreal) and I went with him. I went to both windows, the second one being the interview itself with no problems. But I've been reading on here that the USC lately had been told they had to sit and wait while their spouse was being interviewed. It seems like it has changed or basically depends on the interviewers mood that day.

07/05/13 Married smile.png
USCIS:

07/08/13 I-130 sent
07/09/13 NOA 1
01/02/14 Case Transferred to NSC
01/17/14 Requested Expedite
01/21/14 Expedite approved
01/29/14 NOA 2
01/30/14 I-130 sent to NVC
NVC:

02/11/14 Case received at NVC

02/25/14 Received NVC Case#

02/25/14 Return completed DS-261 (DS-3032)

02/25/14 Received DS-3032 / I-864 Bill

02/25/14 Pay I-864 Bill

02/25/14 Receive I-864 Package

02/26/14 Return I-864 Package

03/12/14 Receive IV Bill

03/13/14 NVC received I-864
03/14/14 Pay IV Bill

03/19/14 Receive Instruction Package

03/19/14 Submitted DS-260

04/10/14 Case Completed at NVC

04/15/14 Interview scheduled (05/30/14)

04/17/14 Date Rec Appointment Letter (Pkt 4)

05/30/14 Interview - APPROVED!

06/04/14 Date IR-1/CR-1 Visa Received

06/04/14 Paid USCIS ELIS Immigrant Fee

06/11/14 Date of US Entry

08/30/14 Received Green Card in mail

LIFTING CONDITIONS:

04/30/16 I-751 sent

05/02/16 ROC packet received at California Service Center

05/02/16 NOA1 (Received 05/13/16)

02/15/17 Case completed - APPROVED

00/00/00 Received Green Card in mail

May 2016 I-751 Filers Spreadsheet

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1K2JoU_2yXD0QBBqRoM6_auTa52wY1gcMiM0YFhs6cYQ/edit?pref=2&pli=1#gid=0

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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Canada
Timeline

Thanks! Anyone who had recent experiences in Montreal is encouraged to post!

We both plan on going to Montreal anyway but it'd be nice to know in advance if we can both participate in the interview!

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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Canada
Timeline

It depends on the country as well, you may find that inetrviews in other countries are handled slightly differently. I dont; think anyone coming through Canada has received any objections about their spouse attendig with them...worst comes to worst they'd be asked to wait in the waiting room.

Wiz(USC) and Udella(Cdn & USC!)

Naturalization

02/22/11 - Filed

02/28/11 - NOA

03/28/11 - FP

06/17/11 - status change - scheduled for interview

06/20?/11 - received physical interview letter

07/13/11 - Interview in Fairfax,VA - easiest 10 minutes of my life

07/19/11 - Oath ceremony in Fairfax, VA

******************

Removal of Conditions

12/1/09 - received at VSC

12/2/09 - NOA's for self and daughter

01/12/10 - Biometrics completed

03/15/10 - 10 Green Card Received - self and daughter

******************

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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Canada
Timeline

My husband came to the consulate with me, but he just sat in the waiting area the whole time. So he was there for support! The guards at the front of the building told him not to talk to anyone up there during the whole interview process.

IR1/CR1 Visa - We are using a lawyer!

Embassy: Montreal, Canada

USCIS

22 Jan 2013 -- packageSent
31 Jan 2013 -- NOA1 from NBC

6 Mar 2013 -- I130 transferred to Orlando local field office (which started the whole nightmare)

Mar 2013 to October 2013 no one would tell us where our case was or what was happening. I suspected the whole time it was just sitting in a corner somewhere in the Orlando field office. I was pretty much right.

October 2013 - get congressman involved. Congressman asks USCIS repeatedly about our case but they won't even tell them anything.

31 Jan 2014- finally get NOA2!!!! (we think the nightmare is over!)

NVC

Our case was not sent from the Orlando field office as it should have been. The nightmare continues. We kept calling NVC and asking if they received our case, and they always said "NO" and that we had to wait 90 business days for it to be received. We called USCIS during this time and they kept telling us it had been sent. After the 90 days of agonizing frustration, NVC then started telling us we had to wait 120 business days. I got our congressman involved again, and they told the congressman it was sitting at the Orlando office this whole time (just as I thought it was!).

22 Apr 2014 -- NVC received
16 May 2014 -- NVC case number assigned
24 May 2014 -- AoS and IV bills paid

28 May 2014 -- Sent AoS and IV Packages

6 June 2014 -- documents scanned

18 July 2014 -- false checklist from NVC

21 July 2014 -- Case complete

28 July 2014 -- receive case complete email from NV

30 July 2014 -- interview booked! September 11 here I come!

Embassy
04 Sept 2014 -- Medical
11 Sept 2014 -- Interview - APPROVED!!!!
15 Sept 2014 -- Package arrived at Loomis location!!!

**03 Oct 2014 -- POE!! **

I NOW LIVE IN OCALA, FL!!!!

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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Canada
Timeline

NO..for Canada, the spouse does not have to attend, mine and many others have not. Yes in some countries with high fraud rates, that may be the case..but not for Canada! The interview for 99.9999999% of Cdns is extremely easy.....One is lucky to be i the little cubicle for 10 minutes...and most of that time is spent by the consular officer looking over everything...questions are very basic.....After it is all done--you wonder why you had to spend big bucks on travel to get there!!

Canadians Visiting the USA while undergoing the visa process, my free advice:

1) Always tell the TRUTH. never lie to the POE officer

2) Be confident in ur replies

3) keep ur response short and to the point, don't tell ur life story!!

4) look the POE officer in the eye when speaking to them. They are looking for people lieing and have been trained to find them!

5) Pack light! No job resumes with you

6) Bring ties to Canada (letter from employer when ur expected back at work, lease, etc etc)

7) Always be polite, being rude isn't going to get ya anywhere, and could make things worse!!

8) Have a plan in case u do get denied (be polite) It wont harm ur visa application if ur denied,that is if ur polite and didn't lie! Refer to #1

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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Canada
Timeline

Thanks but my question was more "Is my spouse barred from attending?" and not "Does my spouse have to attend?" :)

Edited by scottishlander
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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Canada
Timeline

Both go (if you were already planning), the worse that could happen is your spouse would just have to wait in the waiting room (which is about 20 steps away). And if the spouse needs to be there, you're safe. It'll be a fun experience for both of you cause Montreal is gorgeous. We made a little vacation/celebration trip (Montreal, Toronto and then Niagara Falls) :)

Good luck!

Edited by twin810s

07/05/13 Married smile.png
USCIS:

07/08/13 I-130 sent
07/09/13 NOA 1
01/02/14 Case Transferred to NSC
01/17/14 Requested Expedite
01/21/14 Expedite approved
01/29/14 NOA 2
01/30/14 I-130 sent to NVC
NVC:

02/11/14 Case received at NVC

02/25/14 Received NVC Case#

02/25/14 Return completed DS-261 (DS-3032)

02/25/14 Received DS-3032 / I-864 Bill

02/25/14 Pay I-864 Bill

02/25/14 Receive I-864 Package

02/26/14 Return I-864 Package

03/12/14 Receive IV Bill

03/13/14 NVC received I-864
03/14/14 Pay IV Bill

03/19/14 Receive Instruction Package

03/19/14 Submitted DS-260

04/10/14 Case Completed at NVC

04/15/14 Interview scheduled (05/30/14)

04/17/14 Date Rec Appointment Letter (Pkt 4)

05/30/14 Interview - APPROVED!

06/04/14 Date IR-1/CR-1 Visa Received

06/04/14 Paid USCIS ELIS Immigrant Fee

06/11/14 Date of US Entry

08/30/14 Received Green Card in mail

LIFTING CONDITIONS:

04/30/16 I-751 sent

05/02/16 ROC packet received at California Service Center

05/02/16 NOA1 (Received 05/13/16)

02/15/17 Case completed - APPROVED

00/00/00 Received Green Card in mail

May 2016 I-751 Filers Spreadsheet

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1K2JoU_2yXD0QBBqRoM6_auTa52wY1gcMiM0YFhs6cYQ/edit?pref=2&pli=1#gid=0

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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Canada
Timeline

Montreal is great! Don't know how much fun it will be before the interview! If all goes well there will plenty of places to get a great meal and celebrate!

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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Canada
Timeline

Yes, he can go with you. I attended with my husband in October. I was not told not to talk to anyone, in fact I did almost ALL the talking at the first two windows as I am the organizer of the two of us and so was the one presenting all the paperwork that was asked for. I was, however, asked to wait in the waiting room during the actual interview (a whole 5 mins). Good luck!!!

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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Canada
Timeline

They can enter the consulate with no issues..it is up to the consular officer if the USA citizen can actually go inside the booth and attend the actual interview...as you have read, some have been able to..some not.

Canadians Visiting the USA while undergoing the visa process, my free advice:

1) Always tell the TRUTH. never lie to the POE officer

2) Be confident in ur replies

3) keep ur response short and to the point, don't tell ur life story!!

4) look the POE officer in the eye when speaking to them. They are looking for people lieing and have been trained to find them!

5) Pack light! No job resumes with you

6) Bring ties to Canada (letter from employer when ur expected back at work, lease, etc etc)

7) Always be polite, being rude isn't going to get ya anywhere, and could make things worse!!

8) Have a plan in case u do get denied (be polite) It wont harm ur visa application if ur denied,that is if ur polite and didn't lie! Refer to #1

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