Montreal interview and hotel review

[MonopolyMoney 0]

We arrived at La Tour Centreville Tuesday afternoon. Check in went smoothly, we were able to pre-pay with debit. I had booked online for a studio with a queen-size bed, but we were given a room with two twin beds. We went back down to the reception to get that fixed--nothing could be done about it. The toilet was broken and we had to wait 30 minutes for the handyman to come up and fix it. The decor was from the 80's and the room smelled a bit funky, but was clean overall.

The pool was fairly clean. The sauna in the men's room locker did not work and the one in the women's locker took a long time to heat.

The hotel was very close to the Embassy, as others have said. It's also close to a shopping center (The Bay) which has a food court and IGA grocery store.

We got to the Embassy at 6:50ish and we were 5th in line. The doors opened at 7:30 and we were ushered into the building after showing the security guard our appointment letter. Security took people in one by one and was quick and efficient. The woman that was directing us through the process was friendly, yet you could tell she meant business. We were given a card with the letter E and window #9 on it before going through a metal detector and being wanded. After that, we were told to go downstairs and wait in the waiting room. After 5 minutes, the nice security guard came down and took us up in the elevator, instructed us which window we should go to, and then left.

I would reiterate all of the nice short cuts to take (back of elevator, directions, etc), but it doesn't matter in the long run. The order in which you arrive at the Embassy dictates the order in which you will be called for the administrative tasks and the interview.

At the first window we went to after getting off the elevator, we gave them our interview appointment letter and the card. There was a bit of a comical moment when the woman asked for our letter, and then after we had handed that to her, asked for "the other letter". Kurtis and I looked at each other (panic on my face) and then the woman clarified that she had wanted the letter that we got at security.

We sat down in the main waiting room and...well.. waited. After a bit, they called Kurtis up to window 6. This is where we had to hand over all of the original documents. The woman that was taking them said, "I need your documents." I knew we had to hand over the DS-156K, but I wasn't sure which documents she needed copies of. I asked, and she just...didn't answer. So, I asked again and she said, "I need your documents." Ooooookay. We just started handing over everything--the medical (they don't need the X-ray), birth certificate (with copy), name change document (with copy), police certificate, proof of ongoing relationship, letter of intent from me, affidavit of support. There was bare minimum interaction from the woman taking our stuff, even when we asked her some questions. She had Kurtis go pay the $100 USD cash at window #14 and then come back and give her the receipt. Then she told us to sit down and wait again. BRING A BOOK. Kurtis was practically pulling his hair out from boredom and resorted to reading some tax forms.

We waited for about an hour before we were called to door #8. We entered the room, greeted the woman standing behind the glass (she was a black woman with bleach blonde hair). She didn't greet us back, and instead told us to put our stuff down so that the little desk area in front of the window was clear.

Then she started asking questions. Her voice was completely monotone. She asked Kurtis (wouldn't even look at me) how we had met. He asked her, "How did we meet in person or online?" and she just repeated the question, so he launched into our story of how we met in person for the first time. She didn't nod or show ANY emotion, just stared at him. He just kept rambling on about how we met until there was no more to say.

Finally, after 30 seconds of silence in which she just stared at Kurtis, she asked, "How much education have you had?" He replied, and she asked about how much education I've had. He told her, and then she asked about what he plans to do for work in the US. Since he hasn't been allowed to come to the US since we've started the visa process, he replied with his skills that he has and the type of work that he was going to look for once he's allowed. She then asked about what type of work I do. I'm unemployed (since I'm in Canada and not allowed to work), and he told her that. She then asked, rather rudely: "How do you plan to survive if you both will not be working?" I jumped in and told her I have two jobs lined up for when I get back to the US. She didn't even look at me.

She then said, "Do you swear to the statements you've made?" Kurtis didn't hear her, so he said, "I'm sorry?" and she repeated what she said in a very exasperated tone. She then said, "You will receive your visa within a week."

And that was that.

We left happy and smiling, despite the rudeness of the staff (minus the security guard) at the Embassy and the nerve-wracking interview. We were out of there by 10:30.

We set our move date for October 19th and our legal wedding will be October 31st.

I gots me one of them thar Canadians.

[PfcsBaby 0]

Before I even got to the end, I thought you were denied. Thank goodness you got approved! Congrats! Thanks for the review. Its good to know to look out for that lady

[L_n_O 3]

congrats!!!!!!!

[Carlawarla 1]

Congratulations! Wonderful news!

Carla

[kimmbo 0]

sorry to hear that so many were in crabby moods... but congrats on the approval!!

[Udella&Wiz 325]

That was the same woman that we had (black woman with the bleached hair) She must have been having a really bad day. We only got ask one question. How did you meet and then the hand gestures from hell as in keep going, keep going. She never did tell us we were approved either. Just you'll receive the visa in about a week.

Wiz

[trailmix 77]

She obviously hates her job, but oh well that's great you are approved!

Congrats on getting your Canadian!!

[lynamon 0]

Congratulations!!! I had that same black lady with the bleach blonde hair ... she was a little crisp as I recall but she actually made chit chat with my son and she told him that if she gave us the visas that he promise to be a good boy .. that's how I knew that we were approved.

[~Laura and Nick~ 5]

Congratulations!!! I had that same black lady with the bleach blonde hair ... she was a little crisp as I recall but she actually made chit chat with my son and she told him that if she gave us the visas that he promise to be a good boy .. that's how I knew that we were approved.

You must have got her on a good day! LOL

[samaci 0]

Congratulations!!

[Allie 5]

Congrats Sorry to hear you got them on thier grouchy day

[Chica Yeyé 41]

Excellent!!! Now get cracking on the move and the wedding prep!!!

p.s. wouldn't anyone be crabby if their hair looked bleached???????????? he he

Edited October 14, 2007 by Len_and_Bren

[BH45 0]

Mental note - just answer question from black lady with bleach blonde hair..... ...hope when my day arrives, I don't have her....

Congrats to you both....

[Krikit 1,163]

Sheesh. Sorry you got such a miserable officer. Congratulations on receiving the visa, though!

[MonopolyMoney 0]

We received the visa in the mail today!

Now if only my car would be repaired, we'll be on our way home to Massachusetts on Friday!