EC&IC
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Had my interview today! I got in line outside at 8:40, my appointment was at 9:15. Security had people go in according to their appointment time. After going through security, I was in the waiting room at 9:15. And while I wasn't called before 9:45 the first time, I was out of the building at 10:20. Everything went smoothly. I was called twice, they asked for the papers mentioned on the list (birth and marriage certificates, police certificate, etc.), also for my husband's tax transcript and his proof of citizenship, and my fingerprints were taken. The interview was short, I was asked the usual questions (how and when we met, where we're going, if I was ever denied entry in the United States, etc.).The interviewing officer didn't want to confirm his decision, he said “the system has to check a few things, like your fingerprints, but if nothing comes up, I'll approve your visa by the end of the day”. And it was marked “ISSUED” on the website by 1:30pm!!!! 😃 He said my passport would be returned to me within two weeks—but when I expressed my surprise, he said “sometimes it takes two days, sometimes it takes two weeks”... I'll keep you updated.One comment: many people didn't seem to expect they would have to wait outside, and they weren't dressed accordingly. It was very cold, and they were freezing. I guess people who read this forum know about this, but be prepared to wait outside a bit!This is such a long and stressful process, I can hardly believe I'm at the end. This forum and everybody has been so helpful, I really appreciate it. I'll let you know how long it takes for me to get the passport.
- Ontarkie and thenextman
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22 minutes ago, ShawnK said:
I recently had my medical, a few days ago , I just realized they never asked for a urine sample. Only bloodwork?
Same, I called Telus after my medical (three weeks ago) because I was wondering if it was a mistake, since they never asked me for one either, but I was told it was no mistake. I thought I saw someone having to give one a while ago, but differences in age (as mentioned by thenextman) would explain it!
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I'm sorry I don't have anything to contribute in answer to your questions, but I just wanted to wish you good luck on your interview!! Keep us updated!
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5 hours ago, thenextman said:
Hello!
I had my medical at the Telus clinic in Montreal on Wednesday 8th, ahead of my interview next week on the 16th.
After the medical they told me: "you'll receive your results in 10-15 business days" which made me raise my eyebrows - but my interview is next week, I said! She told me not to worry and that confirmation of the medical would be sent to the embassy in time, and that was all that was required. Am I misinterpreting something here, or worrying about nothing? Did anyone else get a medical at Telus and confirm that everything was A-OK for their interview?
I'm hoping that by "receive your results" she means the copy that gets mailed out to me....
Thanks and good luck to everyone,
FWIW, when I went in for my exam at Telus on Feb. 28, she told me that my results would be sent to the consulate within 10 days, and that I'd get an email confirmation. I got that confirmation on March 7, so seven days later. They might have said 10-15 days to avoid getting phone calls...? I also only got a PDF of my vaccine record, but it's reassuring to read: “Vaccination requirements complete? Yes”!
Good luck on your interview!
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Wow, almost 6 hours?! That's horrible, I'm sorry!
As to the shots, I haven't witnessed situations similar to what you've seen (and I can’t imagine treating this process nonchalantly!!!), but even though I consider myself to be extremely organized and got many new shots beforehand after reading the required list multiple, multiple times, I was *still* missing two booster shots that I didn't realize I was supposed to have! I guess that as long as you have both covid shots, you can be missing boosters of other vaccines if you've got at least the first dose, but it still bothered me! I don't know what it is about this vaccine list that was so confusing to me!
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(Please let me know if this should be posted elsewhere.)
Had my medical exam today in Montreal, here is my recap. In short, I was missing vaccine boosters despite having reviewed the list over and over again, and a few details could be interesting to pregnant women or women trying to conceive (especially as concerns X-rays and vaccines); otherwise it was pretty straightforward!My appointment was at 7:45am. I arrived about 5 minutes in advance and had to wear a mask. There was only one other person before me. The lady at reception took my 5 photos, passport (she gave it back straight away), vaccination documents (she kept them), and consulate letter. She took a passport-style photo and gave me a few forms to fill out (personal information, medical history and consents to vaccination). At around 8, I gave her back the forms and sat back in the waiting room.I got called for the X-rays at around 8:25, at the same time as another lady. We got into cabins and put on a paper gown. I got done first and came out, leaving my things in the cabin. The technician asked if I might be pregnant, and when I said it was a possibility, I had to sign consent forms. She explained that she would protect my abdomen and that while there was indeed a very small risk of harm, I would actually receive 10x more radiation from the sun in an airplane than from an X-ray picture. She took two pictures, and 10 minutes later I was dressed and back in the waiting room.At about 9:00, I got called by the nurse. She inquired about one prescription that I have, likely because it seems to be an “off-label” use, and then went over my vaccines. I thought I had them all covered (I read the US list many times!), I had got a few at a pharmacy in January and February to get up to date, but she told me that I was missing three boosters: Hep B, MMR, and varicella. (I did know about the varicella, as I got the first shot less than a month ago.) I think one of the shots I got as a child was the “wrong” one for the US. She also said that as I'm trying to get pregnant, I should *not* have gotten a live varicella vaccine at the pharmacy. I got a bit confused about the rest. If I remember correctly, she also said that had I not gotten that dose a few weeks ago, she would have been able to give me MMR and (my first dose of) varicella together today, in a safe form. Also because of the possibility that I'm in the very early days of a pregnancy (or perhaps because I got the live varicella shot less than a month ago), she said she couldn't give me the MMR and varicella shots now. So she gave me the HB shot, but wrote a note that it was not advisable to give me the other two today. She said that I can get them later (I still have time before the interview), but that it wouldn’t change much, since my current vaccine status doesn't prevent me from entering the US. I asked her to confirm this about 32 times! It's really bothering me, but she said I would have one year to get up to date, and even then, the authorities might not even follow up.She printed the updated Quebec vaccine records and gave me a copy, along with my original records that she had kept. Then she noted my height and weight, did an eye test (she didn’t check my glasses but asked me to read a line with my glasses on, one eye at a time), and took a blood test. That part was done at 9:30.At about 9:50, the doctor called me. She went over the form (I verbally added two details about my “ancient” medical history that I had remembered, just to be transparent, but she didn’t worry about them or write them down). She temporarily left the room to allow me to put on a gown (I kept my underwear on), and she checked my eyes, ears, knee reflexes, listened to my heart and lungs, and she lifted the gown to palpate my abdomen a couple of times. We were done at 10.At 10:15, another lady at reception called me to settle the bill. I paid about $440, this includes one HepB shot ($51). She said it would take about 10 working days for the results to get to the consulate, and I would get an email when that would be done, but the consulate already has received notice that my examination was done today.After I left, I was unsure because I remembered reading on this forum that at least one person had a urine sample collected in 2021. So I called and asked if that was an issue, but the man on the phone said that none needed to be collected.So that's it! All in all, it took 2.5 hours, the people were very nice, and the waiting wasn't too bad. Let me know if you have any questions! -
On 1/9/2022 at 4:47 PM, agdmills said:
The following details an epic journey through snowy mountains, sunbaked deserts, and dense angular forests in 3 different nations. All with a Toyota Corolla, a compliance letter and a dream of one day saying, "why yes, our car does meet the required specifications to register in the United States."
This story begins on a sad note. In January, 2021 my mother-in-law suddenly passed away. My partner and I are both Canadians living in California, and Canada was still very much in high restriction mode due to the pandemic. This made crossing the border to attend a funeral and settle an estate far more challenging than normal. Eventually, my partner was able to go. After several weeks - over two of which were spent in quarantine - my partner and her sibling settled the estate. This included a well-maintained 2015 Toyota Corolla. My partner decided to keep the car. A reliable vehicle with low mileage is something we would definitely make good use of. She does all the paperwork to change ownership, takes the car to a trusted mechanic for an oil change and inspection, and she's all set to return to California and carry on with life.
At this point, neither of us are aware that importing the vehicle at the border is something we need to do. I fly to Chicago to meet her because flying to Toronto would require a lengthy quarantine. She drives across the border as one normally would; present your passport and green card, answer a couple of questions, and on you go. We meet at O'Hare Airport, delighted to see one another after several difficult weeks apart, and settle into our hotel for some much needed rest before our cross-continental journey back to California. The trip was melancholy for obvious reasons, but also meditative and beautiful as we traversed through the ornate landscapes of Wyoming and Utah.
This brings us to the first great hero in our story. At first glance, Yvonne appears to be a DMV employee like any other; a person trying to get through her day as she deals with an endless stream of people who would much rather be somewhere else. However, unbeknownst to her, Yvonne's elevated grace and professionalism allowed this experience to simply be frustrating, as opposed to the downward spiral into madness it otherwise could have been. It is through Yvonne that we learn the vehicle must first be imported before it can be registered in California. She tells us what we need to do - request a letter of compliance, drive to a port of entry, etc - and with much poise and empathy, issues us a temporary registration.
Slightly perturbed at the inconvenience of having to drive all the way to a port of entry, my partner and I are otherwise optimistic that we can successfully complete this task. We decided to take advantage of the long American Thanksgiving weekend. We drive up the forested and mountainous section of I-5 through Oregon and Washington to Seattle, where we have friends with whom we stay with for Thanksgiving dinner. On Black Friday, negative PCR tests and a 60 second wait are all that's required to cross the border into Canada where we make our way to Vancouver and two delightful days with an old friend.
Refreshed and ebullient, we gather our paperwork and prepare to head back to the U.S. Our compliance letter does note that the vehicle has no TPMS; we tell ourselves that it probably doesn't matter. Ignorance is bliss, until the merciless fist of reality pounds itself into your gut rendering your pitiful, helpless body onto the ground with no choice but to face it and move on. This came in the form of Officer Cook. With a stoic confidence, Officer Cook informed us that without a TPMS the car could not be imported. He suggested we drive back to California, request an extension on our temporary registration, have a TPMS installed, and try again. He also recommended going to the Mexican border next time, as it's a shorter drive. We cross back into the States, and after 3 fruitless hours of trying to obtain a TPMS in the small towns of northern Washington, we follow Officer Cook's advice and begin the drive back to California.
Re-enter Yvonne at the DMV, who my partner now has a personal relationship with. She issues an extension with no hassle and our next mission is finding a TPMS and someone to install it. I purchased a cigarette lighter unit on Amazon for around $40. It would be incredibly easy to put this on ourselves, but of course, we need a receipt saying it's been installed; this Temporary Part Mandated by States. After being turned away by two mechanics, we find one who will install it. He charges us $20 - the minimum his system will allow - and issues us a detailed receipt.
The following weekend, we drove to San Diego with plans to cross the Mexican border, turn around, and import the vehicle upon re-entering the United States. Simple enough. Upon crossing the border, we are immediately thrust into a country where the line between pedestrian and car traffic is blurred into a singularity and the copious signage does not make it abundantly clear how exactly one returns to the border. After almost two hours of ineffectual trial and error, and unsuccessfully interpreting the body language directions of local police officers and citizens alike, we began to ask ourselves, "do we live in Tijuana now?" Then, it happened. Random chance; a miracle. Call it what you will, but when we made what seemed like just another U-turn in a long line of U-turns that day, there it was, bathed in a golden halo of angelic sunlight; "To I-5."
Never before had we been so delighted at the opportunity to wait in a lineup. It was slow moving and hot, but with each passing hour, we were inching closer to the border - TPMS receipt and other paperwork in hand - and finally completing this import process. After a 5 hour wait spent observing the many vendors for whom this was a typical day, and thinking to myself, "I wonder how that 6 foot golden portrait of the Virgin Mary would look in my living room", we finally reached the border. We present our passports and green cards, and my partner confidently says, "I'd like to import this vehicle please."
"Oh, we don't do that here", the officer replied. Deflated does not even begin to describe how we felt. If the U.S. Customs and Border Protection had a derisive sense of humour, each officer would be issued an official turntable so as to inflict a record scratch sound effect for such moments. It now felt like we were never going to get this done. We began considering what we would do should the car not be importable, but resolved to try again at the same Canadian border port of entry we were at weeks previously.
At the beginning of January, 2022 we'd planned a trip back to Toronto to visit our families. We decided to postpone that trip because of the recent restrictions imposed in Ontario. This decision had a silver lining though. It was our opportunity to use the time off we'd booked to drive to the border and finally import this vehicle. We booked a few nights at a nice hotel in Portland, Oregon. This being the 1-year anniversary of my mother-in-law's passing, we resolved to spend our time off celebrating life, and hopefully, the successful import of her car and finally closing out the last piece of her estate.
We took one day out of our Portland trip to make the 4 and half hour drive to the border in Blaine, Washington. With little fanfare, we crossed into Canada and immediately turned around to cross back. If there were a humourous adventure for me to outline here, I would. But, to be honest, it all went quite smoothly with no issues whatsoever. The only outlier in this part of the story is its second great hero; Officer Holt. We only spent about 20 minutes with him, but Officer Holt's kindness, professionalism, and sincerity were a massive breath of fresh air and appreciated to a level he will never know. We left Blaine, due south for Portland in our legally imported Toyota Corolla.
As I sit here in our California home having a restful Sunday and writing this story with my partner beside me, I can see she's quite relieved and eagerly looking forward to walking into the DMV this week and saying, "Yvonne, I'd like to register my vehicle please."
I'm sorry to comment on a year-old post, but I think this is the most entertaining writing I've seen on any forum! 😂 We just learned today that we also have this TPMS issue, and we were starting to get anxious reading the thread... I really appreciate everyone's helpful posts and suggestions, but I didn't expect to have that much fun suddenly! Thank you, @agdmills!
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4 hours ago, ShawnK said:
You are right, I checked their deadline is April 18. I will just bring the 2022 W2 incase they ask.
I am just overthinking everything, I think this process messes with your mind. I can't even imagine the relief when it is over.
Oh I totally understand, same thing here. I'm terrified that one missing piece of paper (or the wrong one) will mean months of delay! I just can't wait to have crossed the border and left this whole process behind. But we're almost there!
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17 hours ago, ShawnK said:
Hello all, thank you for your help.
Just preparing for my early April interivew(April 4).
In terms of tax documents, when I uploaded them to NVC in October 2022, they were for 2021, all was good, accepted.
Do I now need to bring get a new I864 and new 2022 tax transcripts/W2s? Or do I just bring print outs of what was uploaded before?
I'm curious as to what people will say is the answer. My interview is on March 22. I'm obviously going to bring print outs of what I sent the NVC, but if they're ready, I might bring a copy of my and my husband's 2022 tax returns (both in Canada and in the US, for him, but he might not be able to get a transcript in time, as he's had to get his 2021 transcript by mail). I would bring them just in case they ask.
As to the I-864s and our joint sponsor's 2022 transcript (as well as his wife's I-864A and 2022 transcript), that would seem like a lot of trouble...
I see online that the earliest deadline to file taxes in the US is April 18. I would assume that the consulate wouldn't then require 2022 transcripts on either March 22 or April 4...
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13 hours ago, ajxl888 said:
I'm new to this thread and am just catching up about this police certificate stuff! Does anybody have an example of what a CORRECT police certificate should look like? Now I'm nervous and want to make sure I get ahead of getting the right one ahead of my interview in April...
Someone seems to have posted it above:
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On 2/19/2023 at 1:05 PM, ind2can said:
Hey folks
With all the stories in this thread of people not getting the right type of police certificate, I'm thinking of pre-emptively applying for the RCMP certificate... Does anyone know if this document has a particular validity or can only be done after a particular stage of the process for eg. during NVC processing?
Thank youOh! Here's where I got the idea that it's only good for one year: “If you previously submitted a police certifciate [sic] to NVC, it is more than one (1) year old, and you still live in that country, you must obtain and bring a more recent police certificate to your visa interview as the one you previously submitted will have expired.”
So I guess it isn't exactly clear if they're good for one or two years, but I'd err on the side of caution!
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4 hours ago, ind2can said:
Hey folks
With all the stories in this thread of people not getting the right type of police certificate, I'm thinking of pre-emptively applying for the RCMP certificate... Does anyone know if this document has a particular validity or can only be done after a particular stage of the process for eg. during NVC processing?
Thank youI thought I remembered that the RCMP certificate is valid for one year, but this page says “Police certificates expire after two years, unless the certificate was issued from your country of previous residence and you have not returned there since the police certificate was issued.”
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6 hours ago, kkeys said:
Wondering if anyone has any advice regarding taxes ...
I worked until January 25 in Canada (approx 3k gross) then moved to USA.
I have a pension plan that I'd like to take the cash payout on, which is about 8500$ pre-tax withholdings (about 6800$ after the 20% taxes come off)
Will I be filing taxes in Canada for January 1-23rd? I assume yes, in which I will claim the 3,000$ from work and the 8500$? Or just the 6800$?
In addition to that, when the time comes to file my US taxes next year, am I reclaiming that 11,500$ as income, or is it separate?
Do I claim my US income for the rest of this year in Canada too?
I'm just so lost and don't even know where to begin to find someone who knows the answers...
I called the Canada Revenue Agency many times and got clear answers each time, so I suggest at least doing that, but I agree that a cross-border accountant would be ideal. Does anyone have any recommendations, actually? All the ones I found only work with millionnaires, apparently... (Asking for a $10K deposit to start!) We couldn't afford them.
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8 hours ago, gyongyhaju said:
My wife got an RCMP police certificate issued in January 2022, but due to two incompetent lawyers, she wasn't able to get DQ'ed until December 2022, and her interview is April 2023. We did get a second police certificate issued in June, but we never submitted it to the NVC because our lawyer did not advise us to. How can we avoid having problems with the police certificate? Is it enough to bring the more recent police certificate to the interview?
I haven't had my interview yet, but based on what I've read from this forum, I don't think that it would be an issue! I'm pretty sure I've seen people present updated or new documents at their interview. (And I did see people being delayed after they sent the NVC new documents at a later date.) I hope someone who's already had their interview can chime in, but I wouldn't worry.
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19 hours ago, Superluminal said:
I got my IL as well. I DQ'd on Nov 17th and my interview is April 27th.
I read on this forum that the Police Certificate is only valid for 1 year. My certificate was dated April 22nd, so I'm just over 1 year until my interview. Additionally, my printer had an "accident" when I was scanning the document and I managed to get some ink on the original so it is slightly damaged. I am wondering if it makes sense to get an updated police certificate as a result of the above.
If I show up with an old an a new police certificate, would that be an issue? Or is it recommended that I just bring the original in whatever state is it in right now
I would get a new one and bring both to your interview. I don't see how that would be a problem, whereas there is a possibility that they would delay your approval if you bring a document that they don't deem valid! (I hope it wouldn't be the case, but better safe than sorry!)
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Has anybody had any experience with the courier service? Is it very fast?
I'm hesitating between pickup and delivery. I live close enough to Montreal that the drive is doable, and I'd prefer to feel in control rather than wait at home, but I’m wondering whether I would regret going the pickup route, if I get the message late on a Friday and can't get to Montreal before the offices close.
Does the courier deliver on weekends?
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We got the letter during the night!! Interview on March 22. I hope you guys also have good news.
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Anyone else expected an interview letter this month and didn’t get one yet? We were DQ’ed on November 9 and were hoping to be included in the January batch, based on the trend shown on the Google sheet... Just trying to see if there are still hopeful people out there!
ETA: Congrats to those who got theirs!
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6 hours ago, NikoTaino said:
Right. Documents like passport, ID, etc are ok with a color copy. The ones you have to bring are the AOS, Police, Birth and Marriage Certificate. I'm not sure about Canada but in my country we usually bring the tax documents as well.
Let's see what other people say since this usually varies per country.
Thank you!
2 hours ago, Chancy said:*** Moved from NVC forum to Embassy/Consulate Discussion -- topic is about possible consulate requirement, not an NVC issue ***
That line refers to the beneficiary's original civil documents. Joint sponsor's original passport is not required. Bring a color photocopy of the sponsor's passport bio page, but it will likely not be required at the visa interview. For other documents typically requested at a spouse visa interview at Montreal, check the FAQ thread below --
Thanks a lot!
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I am petitioning for my wife’s green card, and we are at the NVC stage. My father is joint sponsor with me. I have a question concerning supporting documents for the AOS.
The platform clearly states: “You MUST bring all of your original documents (not a photocopy) to your interview at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate.”
We have a scan of my father's passport bio page. Does this mean my wife would have to bring his original passport to the interview? Or would a regular color printout of this page work? Or a notarized copy?
I assume that in this case, a regular printout is OK, but does anybody have any experience with this?
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We're very curious about this, also. Please let us know if you find out anything!
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7 hours ago, M.Knaebel said:
The "part IV, the big IR1/CR1 DQ'd message group" thread maintains the following spreadsheet, go to tab 2022 for the latest updates.
Some late May DQ's got interviews today, July 25th for September.
Thank you! This is very useful, I'll bookmark it.
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20 minutes ago, Dawgydawgworld said:
I was DQ’d April 15th, received IL June 15th and my interview is August 1st. CR1 Montreal
Thank you! This is exactly the information I was hoping for, I appreciate it.
part IV, the big IR1/CR1 DQ'd message group...
in Canada
Posted
I'm really sorry you're going through this whole thing. I unfortunately can't help, but I hope it'll get resolved ASAP.