Approved - interview details

[jedinite 0]

Hey good news everyone, I was approved for my CR-1 yesterday!

Well here goes my experience. I stayed at the W Hotel in Montreal and it's only about 4 blocks away from the Embassy. If you've never been to Montreal before the Embassy is located on the side of a building which looks like an alley compared to most cities I've been in. Rue St Alexandre is a busy road. If you are coming from Blvd. Rene-Levesque you'll see a coffee house on the front of the building. I nearly passed the entrance because the doors on the side are tinted and you can't see the US Embassy sign unless you're looking up.

Ok, so I got the hotel to give me a wake up call at 5:50 and 6:00am so I would not sleep in. I got up and ready and I walked there which only took 5 mins. There's Rue St Alexandre is a slight hill so if you're not up for a bit of exercise you could get a taxi but I wouldn't since it's so close and Taxi would potentially take longer since downtown Montreal is a bunch of one way streets.

Anyways, I got to the Embassy by 6:55am and there was no one there, I waited for 15 mins and still no one was in line but me. The sign actually says that they are not open until 8:30am. So I walked 2 blocks West on Blvd Rene-Levesque to grab a coffee at Tim's. I would have liked a Starbucks but it's about 4 blocks away on Rue St Catherines. Anyways, even after getting a coffee and returning there was no one else in line but me. People started showing up at about 7:45 and there were maybe about a dozen of us.

When the guards open the doors it's serious business. You will be instructed to empty your pockets of everything, absolutely everything, tissues, candy, gum, change, keys, EVERYTHING they tell you. You are also NOT allowed to bring any electronics of any kind. I left my cell phone at the hotel. I had a energy bar in my jacket which after I empted it from my pockets and showed them they asked me if I was diabetic but I'm slightly hypoglycimic so I told them that and they allowed me to bring it up. When you pass security they will hand you a number or letter and they will tell you not to hide it in your papers. Keep it on top.

They swab down all your stuff including your paperwork and run it through a detection machine, I only assume it's looking for traces of nitrogen, a major component in explosives. So keep your paperwork away from fertilizer if you want to avoid setting off the sensors

So after I passed the initial security part there's a door on the left that you are asked to enter and follow the stairs down. I don't know if they have another method of getting downstairs for the handicapped but it even walking up to the security entrance there was no ramp. Just food for thought for anyone with a disability. Once you enter the door the stairs are to your left and they are pretty steep. You are instructed to have a seat in the room at the bottom of the stairs in front of the elevator and when a guard comes down the elevator you are to hold your letter up to show him.

When he takes you up the elevator you're directed to sit in the order in which you received your letter in a seating area. Immigrant visas are handled in the rooms on the left side of the room, other visas like visitor and work visas are handled on the right side of the room.

The guard will then take your papers after you are seated and give it to the immigration officers in the back rooms. When your turn comes up you will be called over the intercom to head to a window. I was called twice. First time I had to hand over my medical report and my passport. I had a passport renewal since I submitted my I-130 and then so I brought along a photocopy of my new passport information as well. The lady at the window was very nice and appreciated my organization and having a photocopy. I was also asked to give her 2 passport photos but I only had 1 on me which she said was fine. At that point I asked her about the 4 photos that we send in as a part of the visa process and she said they use those for other things, so when you get your medical photos done (3 photos for medical) try and get an additional 2 for the actual interview. I was also asked for a pre-paid XPressPost envelope which I had brought, they only need you to fill out your name and address on it so do that prior if you want to save time. You'll need the 15"x12" sized XPressPost Envelope. After I handed her all the paperwork I was asked to sit back down and I didn't need to give her my x-ray since my medical was clear.

The second time I was called up I was asked to sign my passport because I forgot to do that before. Then she took fingerprints from me. It's taken by this little scanning machine that is beside the window. It was pretty simple no issues there. I was also asked how long I had been married for. I was asked to return to the waiting room again and wait after getting my prints done.

The third time they called my name, I was called into a small room and asked to close the door behind me. The room is small and has a window on which the visa officer was on the other side. The guy that interviewed me was very nice and friendly. I actually thought he'd make a good TV personality. First he asked me to raise my hand and swear that everything I was telling him was the truth. Afterwards he asked me how long we had been married for. He asked me about my wife's occupation and what she did. He asked me about what I did. Also asked me if I was a hardware or software guy since I work in IT. He also asked me about how we met. I think "online" would have sufficed but I went into a bit of detail and he joked about part of my story. Overall, I think they are pretty ok with Canadians since we are such close neighbors.

So after all the questions he said that I was approved and that I was going to receive my paperwork in the XPressPost envelope. I'd receive 3 things in it. First, is my passport back. Second is an instructional letter and finally a packet of my paperwork which is not to be opened by anyone except the customs officers at the point of entry.

I asked him what the procedure is if I still have a contract to complete in Canada for work and that I'd be flying back and forth for potentially several months. He said it's normal and expected, especially since we're neighboring countries and people have affairs to attend to. He said that after I cross and hand over my paperwork I should mention this to the border officer and it shouldn't be an issue. It takes a few months to get the physical greencard anyways so I'll be travelling back and forth on the visa that's stamped in my passport. So a definitive answer is that if you have a home to sell or work to complete or work in Canada while you're looking for jobs in the US it's okay to live outside the US for the first bit.

Oh he also asked me about ever not being let into the country and I told him my situation about having to withdraw my entry this one time I was trying to get my TN renewed. So he confirmed it and said it was fine. He also went on the computer and made sure to clear the note or flag that appeared on my record so I wouldn't be stopped when crossing again.

Finally, I didn't write down the XPresspost tracking number so I had asked if it were okay to copy it down from him. He actually wrote it down for me on a piece of paper and gave me a website for changing my conditional visa (CR-1) in 21 months. He told me that they would be in the instructions in the packet when I receive it but he briefly went over what form I need to fill out and when I need to do it. He said that since my wife and I were married for less than 2 years I was getting a conditional visa and that if you're married over 2 years you don't need to worry about it.

So that was it. After passing security it took less than an hour to get everything done. I believe I was sitting in the waiting room at 8:05 and out of there by 8:50am.

A few tips to note, there are vending machines in the waiting room. One serves snacks, chips, chocolate bars and cookies, another serves coffee, and the last serves pop and bottled water. You will need change though as there's no change machine up there. Loonies and toonies. There are also restrooms and a water fountain if you need those.

Thanks to everyone on the forums for support. I hope this thread helps others, don't worry I'll still be around. This is a great forum and I love helping others out. Good luck to you all.

[milo 0]

Let's do the happy dance together....congrats!!!

[jimjenny 0]

Hi, I am confusing about your travel back and forth idea. I checked my K1 visa, it said "One" entry. I was told by many people's experiences (online, of course), you can not leave the country before you get your travel document! Even it is Canada.

I hope I am wrong, then I don't need to lock myself in US now!

Jenny

[Ontarkie 13,916]

Congrats and join in on that happy dance

[OBX 51]

Congratulations on your approval

Excellent review. BTW when you mentioned you had to give the guard "your papers" what exactly do you hand over prior to being interviwed?

Good luck in all your future travels

[Emancipation 2]

congrads on the approval..

Hi, I am confusing about your travel back and forth idea. I checked my K1 visa, it said "One" entry. I was told by many people's experiences (online, of course), you can not leave the country before you get your travel document! Even it is Canada.

I hope I am wrong, then I don't need to lock myself in US now!

Jenny

Check out the type of visa they are doing though.. CR-1 is very different than a K-1..

[sly_wolf 199]

Congrats and all the best!

Sly

[BermyCat 1]

Congratulations!

~ Catherine

[Flames9_RN 358]

Hi, I am confusing about your travel back and forth idea. I checked my K1 visa, it said "One" entry. I was told by many people's experiences (online, of course), you can not leave the country before you get your travel document! Even it is Canada.

I hope I am wrong, then I don't need to lock myself in US now!

Jenny

ya a K1 is a one time entry! And the op has been approved for a CR-1 visa which is much different

congrats. 9.9 /10 for ur review! had to dock ya 0.1 for not mentioning elevator opens from rear! lol

[MrsCat 6]

congrats

When are you planning your move?

[xtinab 0]

Congratulations!

[MsZ 6]

Sounds like an excellent experience. I shared your review with my husband. I'm sure it will resolve any last minute jitters that he may have.

[Jenni and Bo 0]

Congrats hun

[milo 0]

Sounds like an excellent experience. I shared your review with my husband. I'm sure it will resolve any last minute jitters that he may have.

No need to be nervous the interview process is pretty easy and the people are nice.

they are just extra picky abou the documentation ihad a french birth certificate that was not transated nd notarized I figured they seeen ton's of those so it would not matter ....big mistake added an extra month to my wat time.

That is the thing make sure all your doc are there and adequate

[Flames9_RN 358]

Sounds like an excellent experience. I shared your review with my husband. I'm sure it will resolve any last minute jitters that he may have.

No need to be nervous the interview process is pretty easy and the people are nice.

they are just extra picky abou the documentation ihad a french birth certificate that was not transated nd notarized I figured they seeen ton's of those so it would not matter ....big mistake added an extra month to my wat time.

That is the thing make sure all your doc are there and adequate

The office may be in Montreal, but majority of workers are from the USA (foreign service workers) and ur dealing with an American "company" lol