Montreal Interview Review

[Aker 26]

My Interview happened on Sept. 6th. in Montreal Canada.  I had read other reviews which were very helpful. I had to pick up my Medical package from Medysis the day of my interview. Medysis opens around 6:50am. If you have to pick up your medical the day of your interview, GO EARLY! By the time I walked to the consulate from Medysis, it was approx. 7:15 and there were already people lined up.

ENTRANCE
You will wait in line outside until a guard comes out and asks everyone to have the "interview appt. letter" and passport ready. You enter the entrance of the building, and wait for a person at a podium to enter details of your passport and interview information into the system, places a sticker on your passport and directs you to the security area. They also give you a plasticised paper, asking you to sort out your documents in a certain order when you get upstairs. This will have a number on it. I was number 10.  PLEASE NOTE- it doesn't really matter what time your interview time is, it is basically first come first serve.  So GO EARLY!!

SECURITY
***Please note: no food or drinks are allowed. No electronics are allowed. If you bring your phone- they will give you a ticket stub to pick it up later.

Your items go through x-ray. I forgot I had a USB stick and a small mini power bank in my purse. They just wanted to know what it was, but allowed me to keep it.

Once through security, you go downstairs to the elevator. If you have forgotten to bring passport sized photos with you, there is a little photo booth that charges $10 for the two photos you have to submit. Alternatively, if you remember to get photos the day before, there is a Pharma Prix (Shopper's Drug Mart) at the corner of St. Catherine Street and St. Alexandre (near the consulate) where you can get passport photos.

You go up the elevator to floor 19 (the only floor you are allowed to go to) and then enter a large room filled with chairs.  There are bathrooms, and two vending machines (very sparse).  If you are diabetic, I believe you can bring in food.  I had food and the security guard asked if I was diabetic (which I am not) So I expect you would be allowed as the 'food' upstairs is junk food in a vending machine.

Then you wait.......and arrange your papers.
This is what they asked us for:

DOCUMENT LIST
1- Passport (remember to take a photocopy of the biographic page- it does not have to be in colour)

2. Medical package (do not open this package) Also, if you are wondering, you get to keep your x-ray on CD, and a copy of your immunization records. I believe you will need this further down the road but cannot comment on when yet.

3. Long Form Birth certificate (and make a copy as well). I have heard others on here not have their long form certificate and it was accepted, but if you need your long form, you can order it online through service canada (https://www.ontario.ca/page/get-or-replace-ontario-birth-certificate)

4. Petitioners Affidavit of Support- for K1 Fiance Visa this is the I-134. You also need the petitioners most recent Taxes, and I believe you need the W2 as well. I submitted it, but I am not sure i had to have it.

5. Police Records check. In Canada, I have had to have several police records checks for my work in healthcare. I have always had a physical seal imprinted on my certificates. This is the first time I ordered one when it was available online. It did not have a physical seal. I thought this might be an issue. It was not.

6. Petitioners Intent letter. VERY IMPORTANT- this letter must be dated within 30 days of your interview date.

7. Two passport photos (U.S. sized photos, are different than Canadian)

8. Appt. letter with proof of payment- this will be the printed appointment letter, it will say the fee was paid. This is all I needed. If you haven't paid your fee online, you can pay in person at the cashier's window in that large room. You can do this once you have been called up to see your paperwork. I do not believe this delays you during the day. The person before me had to do this, and he was still on time to being called for his interview before me.

Please keep in mind, this is the paperwork they asked for that day, but you still should have all of your paperwork that is required in Packet 3/4. They may ask for all of it. But they did not the day of my interview.

So, you wait to be called. As number 10, I waited about 1 hour 15 minutes for my turn. My interview time was 7:30 which is the earliest. The first people in line I believe were done the whole process in and hour and a half. My whole process as being # 10, from start to finish was 2 hours. So the earlier you go, the less time it will take. When I left at 09:30, there were people with #35 seated who had appt. times at 09:00. Just to give you a reference of how many people are interviewed. And I don't know how many after I left.

CALLED TO FIRST WINDOW
Once you are called to a Window (#1-5) they are very friendly, ask you for your paperwork, confirm details etc. If you forgot to get photocopies, they will allow you to have them, BUT, you have to pay $1 each. You will have to go to the cashiers Window, pay for the photocopies, grab the receipt, and then go back to the window you were at. So don't waste time, Bring photocopies! They will ask you questions like if you have ever been in trouble with the law, if you have every been married etc. They also take your digital fingerprints. This process took less than 10 minutes.

Then you wait again......

Windows 6-12 are the interview windows. Some people were being called to window #19- and were called by name. Still can't figure out what people did when they were there.  You do see people coming out of the interview area with big smiles on their faces which is really nice to see.

INTERVIEW WINDOW
I was called to window 7. This is where the interview happens. You stand there for about 5 minutes, being asked questions. You don't even realize the interview was happening.
Questions I got asked:

A. Have you ever been married
B. Have you ever had trouble with the law (this does not include parking tickets, speeding tickets, littering tickets etc.)
C. Have you ever lived outside of Canada
D. What does your fiancee do for a living
E. Where does your fiancee live
F. Does your fiancee live along
G. How did you and your fiancee meet ( I told them we met in 2003)
H. What happened from 2003 until now
I. Have I signed up for the courier to return my passport

Then the officer said "Well the interview just happened" and proceeded to ask me to swear in, using my fingerprints while I decree that everything in my application was truthful etc.  She give me paperwork (pink and white sheet) with instructions on how to get my passport, expected arrival time etc. And some other documentation. And that was it. I had to ask if I was approved, I was, but I needed to hear those words.

Very anticlimactic but thrilled that it was that easy.

A few comments I had head from other people in the waiting area- some people were worried that they would be asked about when their wedding was, what point of entry they were going to use, the date they were entering the U.S. I d not know if anyone got asked these questions. I was prepared with EVERYTHING. I am glad I didn't have to use everything I had, but I didn't leave anything to chance.

I was an excellent experience, and I wish you all the best! (search for my Medical in Montreal Review)
 

[Mr Geminian 691]

8 hours ago, Aker said:

My Interview happened on Sept. 6th. in Montreal Canada.  I had read other reviews which were very helpful. I had to pick up my Medical package from Medysis the day of my interview. Medysis opens around 6:50am. If you have to pick up your medical the day of your interview, GO EARLY! By the time I walked to the consulate from Medysis, it was approx. 7:15 and there were already people lined up.

ENTRANCE
You will wait in line outside until a guard comes out and asks everyone to have the "interview appt. letter" and passport ready. You enter the entrance of the building, and wait for a person at a podium to enter details of your passport and interview information into the system, places a sticker on your passport and directs you to the security area. They also give you a plasticised paper, asking you to sort out your documents in a certain order when you get upstairs. This will have a number on it. I was number 10.  PLEASE NOTE- it doesn't really matter what time your interview time is, it is basically first come first serve.  So GO EARLY!!

SECURITY
***Please note: no food or drinks are allowed. No electronics are allowed. If you bring your phone- they will give you a ticket stub to pick it up later.

Your items go through x-ray. I forgot I had a USB stick and a small mini power bank in my purse. They just wanted to know what it was, but allowed me to keep it.

Once through security, you go downstairs to the elevator. If you have forgotten to bring passport sized photos with you, there is a little photo booth that charges $10 for the two photos you have to submit. Alternatively, if you remember to get photos the day before, there is a Pharma Prix (Shopper's Drug Mart) at the corner of St. Catherine Street and St. Alexandre (near the consulate) where you can get passport photos.

You go up the elevator to floor 19 (the only floor you are allowed to go to) and then enter a large room filled with chairs.  There are bathrooms, and two vending machines (very sparse).  If you are diabetic, I believe you can bring in food.  I had food and the security guard asked if I was diabetic (which I am not) So I expect you would be allowed as the 'food' upstairs is junk food in a vending machine.

Then you wait.......and arrange your papers.
This is what they asked us for:

DOCUMENT LIST
1- Passport (remember to take a photocopy of the biographic page- it does not have to be in colour)

2. Medical package (do not open this package) Also, if you are wondering, you get to keep your x-ray on CD, and a copy of your immunization records. I believe you will need this further down the road but cannot comment on when yet.

3. Long Form Birth certificate (and make a copy as well). I have heard others on here not have their long form certificate and it was accepted, but if you need your long form, you can order it online through service canada (https://www.ontario.ca/page/get-or-replace-ontario-birth-certificate)

4. Petitioners Affidavit of Support- for K1 Fiance Visa this is the I-134. You also need the petitioners most recent Taxes, and I believe you need the W2 as well. I submitted it, but I am not sure i had to have it.

5. Police Records check. In Canada, I have had to have several police records checks for my work in healthcare. I have always had a physical seal imprinted on my certificates. This is the first time I ordered one when it was available online. It did not have a physical seal. I thought this might be an issue. It was not.

6. Petitioners Intent letter. VERY IMPORTANT- this letter must be dated within 30 days of your interview date.

7. Two passport photos (U.S. sized photos, are different than Canadian)

8. Appt. letter with proof of payment- this will be the printed appointment letter, it will say the fee was paid. This is all I needed. If you haven't paid your fee online, you can pay in person at the cashier's window in that large room. You can do this once you have been called up to see your paperwork. I do not believe this delays you during the day. The person before me had to do this, and he was still on time to being called for his interview before me.

Please keep in mind, this is the paperwork they asked for that day, but you still should have all of your paperwork that is required in Packet 3/4. They may ask for all of it. But they did not the day of my interview.

So, you wait to be called. As number 10, I waited about 1 hour 15 minutes for my turn. My interview time was 7:30 which is the earliest. The first people in line I believe were done the whole process in and hour and a half. My whole process as being # 10, from start to finish was 2 hours. So the earlier you go, the less time it will take. When I left at 09:30, there were people with #35 seated who had appt. times at 09:00. Just to give you a reference of how many people are interviewed. And I don't know how many after I left.

CALLED TO FIRST WINDOW
Once you are called to a Window (#1-5) they are very friendly, ask you for your paperwork, confirm details etc. If you forgot to get photocopies, they will allow you to have them, BUT, you have to pay $1 each. You will have to go to the cashiers Window, pay for the photocopies, grab the receipt, and then go back to the window you were at. So don't waste time, Bring photocopies! They will ask you questions like if you have ever been in trouble with the law, if you have every been married etc. They also take your digital fingerprints. This process took less than 10 minutes.

Then you wait again......

Windows 6-12 are the interview windows. Some people were being called to window #19- and were called by name. Still can't figure out what people did when they were there.  You do see people coming out of the interview area with big smiles on their faces which is really nice to see.

INTERVIEW WINDOW
I was called to window 7. This is where the interview happens. You stand there for about 5 minutes, being asked questions. You don't even realize the interview was happening.
Questions I got asked:

A. Have you ever been married
B. Have you ever had trouble with the law (this does not include parking tickets, speeding tickets, littering tickets etc.)
C. Have you ever lived outside of Canada
D. What does your fiancee do for a living
E. Where does your fiancee live
F. Does your fiancee live along
G. How did you and your fiancee meet ( I told them we met in 2003)
H. What happened from 2003 until now
I. Have I signed up for the courier to return my passport

Then the officer said "Well the interview just happened" and proceeded to ask me to swear in, using my fingerprints while I decree that everything in my application was truthful etc.  She give me paperwork (pink and white sheet) with instructions on how to get my passport, expected arrival time etc. And some other documentation. And that was it. I had to ask if I was approved, I was, but I needed to hear those words.

Very anticlimactic but thrilled that it was that easy.

A few comments I had head from other people in the waiting area- some people were worried that they would be asked about when their wedding was, what point of entry they were going to use, the date they were entering the U.S. I d not know if anyone got asked these questions. I was prepared with EVERYTHING. I am glad I didn't have to use everything I had, but I didn't leave anything to chance.

I was an excellent experience, and I wish you all the best! (search for my Medical in Montreal Review)
 

Congrats on your visa approval  I know what you mean when you thought if the interview happened or not because you are all nervous, happy, and all but once you know you are approved the relief that you get is just unexplainable  anyways wish you all the best

[JFH 12,189]

*~*~*country-specific information moved to Canada regional discussion*~*~*

[skaratso 84]

On 9/9/2017 at 1:24 PM, Aker said:

My Interview happened on Sept. 6th. in Montreal Canada.  I had read other reviews which were very helpful. I had to pick up my Medical package from Medysis the day of my interview. Medysis opens around 6:50am. If you have to pick up your medical the day of your interview, GO EARLY! By the time I walked to the consulate from Medysis, it was approx. 7:15 and there were already people lined up.

ENTRANCE
You will wait in line outside until a guard comes out and asks everyone to have the "interview appt. letter" and passport ready. You enter the entrance of the building, and wait for a person at a podium to enter details of your passport and interview information into the system, places a sticker on your passport and directs you to the security area. They also give you a plasticised paper, asking you to sort out your documents in a certain order when you get upstairs. This will have a number on it. I was number 10.  PLEASE NOTE- it doesn't really matter what time your interview time is, it is basically first come first serve.  So GO EARLY!!

SECURITY
***Please note: no food or drinks are allowed. No electronics are allowed. If you bring your phone- they will give you a ticket stub to pick it up later.

Your items go through x-ray. I forgot I had a USB stick and a small mini power bank in my purse. They just wanted to know what it was, but allowed me to keep it.

Once through security, you go downstairs to the elevator. If you have forgotten to bring passport sized photos with you, there is a little photo booth that charges $10 for the two photos you have to submit. Alternatively, if you remember to get photos the day before, there is a Pharma Prix (Shopper's Drug Mart) at the corner of St. Catherine Street and St. Alexandre (near the consulate) where you can get passport photos.

You go up the elevator to floor 19 (the only floor you are allowed to go to) and then enter a large room filled with chairs.  There are bathrooms, and two vending machines (very sparse).  If you are diabetic, I believe you can bring in food.  I had food and the security guard asked if I was diabetic (which I am not) So I expect you would be allowed as the 'food' upstairs is junk food in a vending machine.

Then you wait.......and arrange your papers.
This is what they asked us for:

DOCUMENT LIST
1- Passport (remember to take a photocopy of the biographic page- it does not have to be in colour)

2. Medical package (do not open this package) Also, if you are wondering, you get to keep your x-ray on CD, and a copy of your immunization records. I believe you will need this further down the road but cannot comment on when yet.

3. Long Form Birth certificate (and make a copy as well). I have heard others on here not have their long form certificate and it was accepted, but if you need your long form, you can order it online through service canada (https://www.ontario.ca/page/get-or-replace-ontario-birth-certificate)

4. Petitioners Affidavit of Support- for K1 Fiance Visa this is the I-134. You also need the petitioners most recent Taxes, and I believe you need the W2 as well. I submitted it, but I am not sure i had to have it.

5. Police Records check. In Canada, I have had to have several police records checks for my work in healthcare. I have always had a physical seal imprinted on my certificates. This is the first time I ordered one when it was available online. It did not have a physical seal. I thought this might be an issue. It was not.

6. Petitioners Intent letter. VERY IMPORTANT- this letter must be dated within 30 days of your interview date.

7. Two passport photos (U.S. sized photos, are different than Canadian)

8. Appt. letter with proof of payment- this will be the printed appointment letter, it will say the fee was paid. This is all I needed. If you haven't paid your fee online, you can pay in person at the cashier's window in that large room. You can do this once you have been called up to see your paperwork. I do not believe this delays you during the day. The person before me had to do this, and he was still on time to being called for his interview before me.

Please keep in mind, this is the paperwork they asked for that day, but you still should have all of your paperwork that is required in Packet 3/4. They may ask for all of it. But they did not the day of my interview.

So, you wait to be called. As number 10, I waited about 1 hour 15 minutes for my turn. My interview time was 7:30 which is the earliest. The first people in line I believe were done the whole process in and hour and a half. My whole process as being # 10, from start to finish was 2 hours. So the earlier you go, the less time it will take. When I left at 09:30, there were people with #35 seated who had appt. times at 09:00. Just to give you a reference of how many people are interviewed. And I don't know how many after I left.

CALLED TO FIRST WINDOW
Once you are called to a Window (#1-5) they are very friendly, ask you for your paperwork, confirm details etc. If you forgot to get photocopies, they will allow you to have them, BUT, you have to pay $1 each. You will have to go to the cashiers Window, pay for the photocopies, grab the receipt, and then go back to the window you were at. So don't waste time, Bring photocopies! They will ask you questions like if you have ever been in trouble with the law, if you have every been married etc. They also take your digital fingerprints. This process took less than 10 minutes.

Then you wait again......

Windows 6-12 are the interview windows. Some people were being called to window #19- and were called by name. Still can't figure out what people did when they were there.  You do see people coming out of the interview area with big smiles on their faces which is really nice to see.

INTERVIEW WINDOW
I was called to window 7. This is where the interview happens. You stand there for about 5 minutes, being asked questions. You don't even realize the interview was happening.
Questions I got asked:

A. Have you ever been married
B. Have you ever had trouble with the law (this does not include parking tickets, speeding tickets, littering tickets etc.)
C. Have you ever lived outside of Canada
D. What does your fiancee do for a living
E. Where does your fiancee live
F. Does your fiancee live along
G. How did you and your fiancee meet ( I told them we met in 2003)
H. What happened from 2003 until now
I. Have I signed up for the courier to return my passport

Then the officer said "Well the interview just happened" and proceeded to ask me to swear in, using my fingerprints while I decree that everything in my application was truthful etc.  She give me paperwork (pink and white sheet) with instructions on how to get my passport, expected arrival time etc. And some other documentation. And that was it. I had to ask if I was approved, I was, but I needed to hear those words.

Very anticlimactic but thrilled that it was that easy.

A few comments I had head from other people in the waiting area- some people were worried that they would be asked about when their wedding was, what point of entry they were going to use, the date they were entering the U.S. I d not know if anyone got asked these questions. I was prepared with EVERYTHING. I am glad I didn't have to use everything I had, but I didn't leave anything to chance.

I was an excellent experience, and I wish you all the best! (search for my Medical in Montreal Review)
 

 

This was basically my fiancée's experience, except she didn't get asked any questions about me at all. In fact, we were there on the same day as you. She was #15, and apparently #14's interview went long, but we were done and out of there by 10:15 am.

 

Also, you didn't mention parking, but there is a public parking lot directly across the street from the consulate. The maximum fee is $14 Canadian (which, actually is cheap compared to parking anywhere else in Montreal). We locked our phones and my smart watch in the glove box of my car and we locked her purse in the trunk. When we went through security they took my car key (because it was a remote) and gave me a ticket to retrieve it afterwards.

[Peot 134]

What I was surprised about was the lax security on things like purses and bags. You read online all the time that you absolutely cannot bring those into the consulate over a certain size, but I saw women with purses 2 feet wide at the interview waiting room. I'd assume that a small carry-on sized luggage bag would also be acceptable in this respect.

 

The questions I got asked were even more brief. I was asked:

 

- When did you first meet?

- Did you become a couple then?

- When did you become a couple?

- Tell me the story!

-> You're approved.

 

However, when I went the person 2 numbers before me clearly got a pending denial, so I'm assuming they study your file BEFORE you talk to them, and they know what pressure points exist and which don't.

[Canadianeh! 14]

Thank you all very much for the helpful information!  For those that got approval on the day of your interview in Montreal, how long did it take afterwards to actually receive your Immigrant Visa (so that you could legally cross border and move to the US).

Thanks!

[Ontarkie 13,966]

~~Zombie thread locked to further comments. Please start a thread if you have questions.~~