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Klam

Consulate kept original birth certificate at interview

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

Wanted to give an update on this.  Wife just got her passport+visa back today.  The package included pretty much every original document back including BC, police check, translations, etc.  We're happy we got back the BC but didn't really expect the other docs as well.  Note, wife is ethnically east Asian, born in Venezuela, emigrated to Canada at age 14, and has been a Canadian national for the last decade.  For the full story:

 

June 10: Wife shows up to interview.  Unfortunately, as of 4/1/19, Montreal consulate no longer allows petitioners to accompany the beneficiary into the interview waiting area (or into the consulate at all).  We brought originals of everything we uploaded to CEAC as well as photocopies as instructed.  Wife does the doc check procedure.  They check originals and keep the photocopies of everything EXCEPT the BC which they kept the original.  I was unable to remind her about this since I wasn't with her.  In hindsight, they also kept the original PC and translations but we didn't care about those.  The CO had the originals at the interview and asked some questions about the BC and focused on her Venezuelan origins.  CO keeps the original BC.  Wife is given verbal approval and the "Welcome to the United States" letter.

 

June 11:  Wife is freaking out because she didn't realize it's not normal for the CO to keep the BC and getting a new one is effectively impossible at this point.  She emails and calls the consulate a bunch of times.  We end up going back to the consulate to try and talk to somebody (I warned her that we probably wouldn't make it past security w/o an appointment).  She ends up talking to the security guard and explains the situation.  Security guard explains that it's normal for them to keep original documents and that she'll get them all back.  I'm a little skeptical about this since I'm not sure that the security guard would be knowledgeable about these procedures.  Maybe he's been getting this question a lot lately?

 

June 12:  Consulate emails back stating that she will get all of her docs back with the passport and to chill out with the emails.

 

June 17:  Passport arrives at pickup point and she now has EVERY doc back that wasn't a photocopy.

 

That's all.  I have no clue what's normal, what's atypical, or whether the emails helped anything.  Just providing a data point for posterity.  This part of our journey is officially done.  Long distance sucks, no desire to repeat.

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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Canada
Timeline
27 minutes ago, Klam said:

Wanted to give an update on this.  Wife just got her passport+visa back today.  The package included pretty much every original document back including BC, police check, translations, etc.  We're happy we got back the BC but didn't really expect the other docs as well.  Note, wife is ethnically east Asian, born in Venezuela, emigrated to Canada at age 14, and has been a Canadian national for the last decade.  For the full story:

 

June 10: Wife shows up to interview.  Unfortunately, as of 4/1/19, Montreal consulate no longer allows petitioners to accompany the beneficiary into the interview waiting area (or into the consulate at all).  We brought originals of everything we uploaded to CEAC as well as photocopies as instructed.  Wife does the doc check procedure.  They check originals and keep the photocopies of everything EXCEPT the BC which they kept the original.  I was unable to remind her about this since I wasn't with her.  In hindsight, they also kept the original PC and translations but we didn't care about those.  The CO had the originals at the interview and asked some questions about the BC and focused on her Venezuelan origins.  CO keeps the original BC.  Wife is given verbal approval and the "Welcome to the United States" letter.

 

June 11:  Wife is freaking out because she didn't realize it's not normal for the CO to keep the BC and getting a new one is effectively impossible at this point.  She emails and calls the consulate a bunch of times.  We end up going back to the consulate to try and talk to somebody (I warned her that we probably wouldn't make it past security w/o an appointment).  She ends up talking to the security guard and explains the situation.  Security guard explains that it's normal for them to keep original documents and that she'll get them all back.  I'm a little skeptical about this since I'm not sure that the security guard would be knowledgeable about these procedures.  Maybe he's been getting this question a lot lately?

 

June 12:  Consulate emails back stating that she will get all of her docs back with the passport and to chill out with the emails.

 

June 17:  Passport arrives at pickup point and she now has EVERY doc back that wasn't a photocopy.

 

That's all.  I have no clue what's normal, what's atypical, or whether the emails helped anything.  Just providing a data point for posterity.  This part of our journey is officially done.  Long distance sucks, no desire to repeat.

Glad she got it back! Just wondering were the originals separated from the PACKET that we are not supposed to open? Or is Montreal not giving Packets anymore to give to the immigration officer on POE? Thank you

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

There's no sealed packet anymore for Montreal.  Everything's submitted electronically.  She was specifically told this by the CO and in a letter she got after the interview.  The only thing you need to worry about not opening is your medical packet.

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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Canada
Timeline
49 minutes ago, Klam said:

There's no sealed packet anymore for Montreal.  Everything's submitted electronically.  She was specifically told this by the CO and in a letter she got after the interview.  The only thing you need to worry about not opening is your medical packet.

Thank you so much! Less to worry with canada post as well lol! (You know what I mean... 😉😏)

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