pilot787

Good luck! Actually, it worked for us. Got the GC finally! 

Good luck! Actually, it worked for us. Got the GC finally! 

I moved my case to my home country. Good luck everyone waiting for Montreal interview. Hope God heard your prayers and backlog gets cleared soon.

Had the same happening to us. Landed July 7th. And have had the same status for 2 months. I sent an erequest, and they replied that they are missing some biometrics. We had to go to USCIS and take another picture, now the stays changed to the “Card Being Produced”. You have to ask them why your status doesn’t change. 

Finally! That's a big jump from Jan 2021. Hopefully that backlog only gets smaller.

sorry, not sure what you mean by USC? 

sorry, not sure what you mean by USC? 

Your friend was not born a U.S. citizen.
 
His mom could have easily (by comparison) given him U.S. citizenship if she had completed the N-600K process before he reached age 18 provided she had a U.S. citizen  parent with 5 years of physical presence in the U.S.
 
There was a law passed in the year 2000 that gave her this option.

she needs US residency at time of the interview to sponsor him
US tax returns / she files form 2555 to exclude foreign income and as USC,  she has to file 

See https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin/2023/visa-bulletin-for-september-2023.html
 
His category is 8 years behind currency. I generally double it and add 3. So it will be 19 years before she needs
to worry about a tax return for his visa application. 
 
How old is she?
 
As he was born after 1983, she should have filed N-600K before he reached age 16.

She has loads of time and will have many years of filed taxes before this is an issue.
 
Presumably she checked to make sure the son is not a USC

I was checking the forum where others are sharing their timelines with GC, and it mostly takes 2 weeks - month. May be it also depends on the location of crossing. We had really bad experience with USCIS in general, when it took us 3 months to get a number with NVC, instead of 2 weeks. 

My timeline:
entered USA on June 23.
 

Hi everyone, 
 
I just got back home after a bunch of flight delays and wanted to share my pre-interview and interview experience here. 
 
I am an EB-2 immigrant visa applicant - DQ date: 30th Aug 2021; interview date: 17th July, 2023. My visa got approved, a big thanks to everyone here. 
 
--------------------------------
 
Things that changed in my case from my DQ date till the time I got the interview:
Company that filed my petition got acquired in a successor-in-interest merger Got married Applied for a non-immigrant visa while waiting for the interview (not B1/B2)  
Things I got done before receiving the interview letter:
Vaccination documents - I did have my vaccination documents from my childhood. But since it was all over the place, I took the antibody titer test. I went to a nearby walk-in clinic and got all the tests done (I had to get a TDAP as there is no way of showing immunity for that, so unless you have proof that you took a TDAP in the last ten years, you will have to get a booster shot). My titer test showed that I did not have the required Hep B immunity level (although I did get all three vaccinations as a child). To ensure that there are no issues during medical, the doctor said I could take another shot to show immunity. So I got a shot and then took a titer test four weeks later. That showed the required immunity and I was all set or the medical. The Hep B shot is not covered by OHIP.
  Acquisition Documents - Given the acquisition (successor-in-interest) of my original petitioner, the new company had to apply for an amended I-140. They could not file this for premium processing directly, but could only request for premium processing after sometime had passed. End to end, this took about five weeks as the request for premium processing got approved, and I got the amended I-140 approval within 14 days after that.   
Things I got done after getting the interview letter:
Got new PCCs Booked my appointment for medicals Got a copy of the amended I-140 approval Got the employment letter from my new employer (dated within a month of the interview on the US employer letterhead, and it mentioned the acquisition too) Started getting all the documents for the interview together Booked flights/hotel for stay (I suggest to take a flight to Montreal atleast two days before the interview given the number of flight cancellations going on at present, and to stay at a hotel close to the consulate if possible.)  
Medicals for Interview:
 
I went with Dr.Randall Lee for my medical. I decided to go with Dr.Randall Lee as everyone here seemed to have a pleasant experience with him/his office. I called his office for an appointment and got one about five weeks before my interview date. I had travel plans to the US and wasn't sure if I could do medicals before that. I checked here in the forum and people said I could do it regardless of when I'm traveling (after/before doesn't matter) and that I just needed to remember to give enough time for the doctor's office to submit the medicals to the consulate and that I would have to enter the US within six months of medicals being done (if visa gets approved). 
 
The medicals by itself was smooth (except that it took a while). I took only the documents the receptionist mentioned on the call when I booked the appointment, which were the following:
List of any medications Valid passport DS-260 confirmation page Immunization records (antibody titer test and old vaccination records) NVC interview letter Prescription for corrected vision (I just told them I have corrected vision - didn't have to show any proof for this) (photos are taken at doctor’s office) My appointment was at 0930AM and I met with the doctor only after 1030AM. With the blood work and the X-ray after meeting the doctor, it took me about three hours to get done with the medicals. I could have gotten the blood work done later, but I wanted to finish everything with regards to the medical in one shot, so I chose to wait and finish that as well. Both blood work and X-ray are in the same building, so I could get everything done in one place. The doctor told me that I would receive an email saying the medicals were submitted. But when I checked with the receptionist, she said I should call in to check and that an email would not be sent. 
 
After ten days, I saw the 'Last Updated Date' on CEAC change. I called in the next day and they said the medicals were submitted, and that they would send the vaccination record that they submitted. I waited for about 7-8 days, and during this time, I saw my 'Last Updated Date' on CEAC change everyday for three days. I called them to check again and they said it was submitted and then shared the vaccination record with me. I would suggest to follow up with them if this isn't received. 
 
Interview Document Preparation:
 
I got all the originals of the civil documents I submitted to NVC, and took copies of each of them. These primary documents were the following:
Birth Certificate Unexpired passport Police certificates (recent ones) Marriage certificate (I was not married at the time of DQ, so this was not in the documents that I had sent to NVC) Passport size phots - 2 (I took mine at Staples) Employment letter (from my new company) along with a copy of the amended I-140 approval Proof of legal status in Canada (NVC requested me to send this additionally after receiving the first set of documents before DQ, so I added this as well to my list) I took my NVC interview letter and DS-260 confirmation page along with the above (these were't asked). 
 
I also took a couple of supplementary documents which were the following:
Previous US tax returns (last two) and W2s I-94 Travel history Copies of old US visas Diplomas (copy) and original transcripts Old work authorization documents/I-797s if any Resume Copies of US paystubs (last three months) from when I worked there DS-260 application with corrections/updates written in pen (I did this more for myself to understand as to what I would have to tell them has changed over the last two years) Spouse's documents (their employment verification letter, last three months paystubs, lease, last year's W2, last year's US tax return, copy of their US visa and I-94, last three months' bank statements, driver's license) Additionally, I also took some of my Canadian documentation:
Canadian bank statements (last three months) Lease in Canada Canadian Tax return + T4  
Before the Interview:
 
I planned to fly there two days before my interview. My flight got cancelled and then delayed, so the extra day gave me some relief and I made it later that same night.
 
The US Consulate was five minutes away from my hotel. I walked there the previous day to see where it was, so that I don't waste time on the interview day looking for the consulate. 
 
Interview:
 
I got to the consulate half an hour before the interview, and there was already a line with about 12-15 people there. The security guard started letting in people who were waiting for American services first around that time. Once they were all done (apart from those who had later appointments), they started letting in the rest of us. I would suggest to not bring a backpack as they don't have place to keep that. They only have small lockers where you can keep your phones and any other small items in.
 
When I got in, they checked my passport to see whether they had my name on their list and then gave me a token with a number on it. After this, I had to pass through security. I then waited for my number to be called.
 
After about 45-50 minutes, my number came up and I went to the counter where this friendly lady asked for my passport and then got my documents that they received from NVC. She then proceeded to ask me for my current Canadian and US addresses. She asked me if I had any valid US visas, which I said I did. She made a note and told me that if the IV is approved, this would have to be cancelled and was making a note of the same. Once that was done, she asked for my original birth certificate, original police certificates (she checked the dates and that it was all clear), marriage certificate and copy, employment letter (I gave her the new one with the amended I-140 approval) and an extra copy of that. She asked me if I wanted to add my spouse to the case. I told her that they already have their own immigration ongoing and so I didn't want to add them. She verified my SSN and asked if I wanted to request a new one. I remember it being mentioned in this forum that the SSN we have is only for work with DHS authorization (it's written on the SSN) and that we should request a new one. So, I told her I would need a new one. She made a note of the same. She took my fingerprints and then asked me to wait in the waiting area until my number came up again for the actual interview. (this is from what I remember)
 
After about an hour and a half or so, I was called for the interview. The interviewer was very friendly and first stated the oath. After that he went on asking questions about my position and where I found the position in the company I was working in at the US previously, what my longest stay in the US was, what status I was at that time. He asked me if I'll be working at the new company, and that is when I informed him about the acquisition, and mentioned I had attached the amended I-140 approval there. He said that's alright and that as long as I have an amended I-140 approval, it's all good as USCIS needs to be informed about it. He then asked about my spouse, where they work, stay, and from where I'll be working. I asked him if I would need to provide proof of my legal status in Canada as I had to provide that to NVC, and he asked to me give it as it's good for them to know I'm in Canada legally. (this is from what I remember)
 
He then said my visa was approved, and went on to cancel my non-immigrant visa that was still valid. 
 
--------------------------------
 
Overall, the entire interview took a total of about two and a half hours. Other than the time it took, it was smooth. My status on CEAC changed to 'Issued' by the time I got back to the hotel. I was not asked for any other documents apart from the primary documents I listed.
 
I'm yet to receive my passport. After that comes entering the US and getting the physical green card, new SSN. 
 
Thanks to everyone in this forum who helped and shared their experiences!  Finding this forum was gold, and I wish everyone all the very best for their interviews. The wait was real long, but there is light at the end of it.
 
 

I use RBC in US. It works well for transferring money and I was able to secure a credit card through them using my Canadian credit. The downside is that there aren’t physical locations so it’s all online banking. 
 
For credit, I used multiple sources to build it. I don’t know about the Amex you mentioned above. The thing that helped me most was having a few different cards, including an Amazon credit card and a few low balance cards I could secure without a lot of credit (Capital One) that I used actively to build credit. 
 
Mon a related note - if you need to buy a car, BMW has a program for leasing where they use your home country credit. The interest rate is a bit higher but they were good to work with. 

Say "infopass appointment"  "live agent"  Reschedule".....  Try those at the prompts.  It should connect you to a human.

I believe all your diplomas have been already verified on the NVC level. The interview is just to make sure you are not a criminal and check the originals required by the consulate. During our intervew they just asked about the level of the highest degree. I would not worry about bringing the original diplomas. You can always bring a copy, just in case, if it gives you more confidence. 

I believe all your diplomas have been already verified on the NVC level. The interview is just to make sure you are not a criminal and check the originals required by the consulate. During our intervew they just asked about the level of the highest degree. I would not worry about bringing the original diplomas. You can always bring a copy, just in case, if it gives you more confidence. 

So since I was in TN and already have SSN, I was able to open an account with Bank of America and get a secured credit card to build credit. Also for easy fund transfer I opened a CIBC US account which links with my Canadian account. The CIBC account is a no monthly fee account. I have heard Amex takes Canadian credit history when applying for a credit card. Also capital one provides secured credit card

Just wanted to share my interview experience. Originally, was supposed to interview in Montreal, but switched to Paris embassy, because my husband is French, he is the main applicant. We had our interview in Paris on the 24th. The original documents we had to give in the first booth, the consular didn’t even look at any originals or police certificates. Asked my husband couple questions like, where does he work? If he is going to continue working in the same field. He didn’t ask me anything at all. After that he said that our visas were approved. When we got to the hotel, the CEAC status changed to Admin Processing. But we were not asked any additional documents, nor did we get and G221 form. When I did some digging, Administrative processing also means that the visa is approved, but not printed yet. Yesterday, May 31st the status finally changed to Issued. It was the same administrative processing for other people who interviewed with us the same day too. Just wanted to share that administrative processing does not always mean additional checks. And thanks to everyone for sharing their stories on this platform! It helped us a lot to get through this long process! We filed our I-140 Oct 2021. And hopefully today we will get passports back, which will be almost 1,5 years since we started working on this adventure! Good luck to everyone waiting for their interviews. I really hope that Montreal will speed up !!

Just wanted to share my interview experience. Originally, was supposed to interview in Montreal, but switched to Paris embassy, because my husband is French, he is the main applicant. We had our interview in Paris on the 24th. The original documents we had to give in the first booth, the consular didn’t even look at any originals or police certificates. Asked my husband couple questions like, where does he work? If he is going to continue working in the same field. He didn’t ask me anything at all. After that he said that our visas were approved. When we got to the hotel, the CEAC status changed to Admin Processing. But we were not asked any additional documents, nor did we get and G221 form. When I did some digging, Administrative processing also means that the visa is approved, but not printed yet. Yesterday, May 31st the status finally changed to Issued. It was the same administrative processing for other people who interviewed with us the same day too. Just wanted to share that administrative processing does not always mean additional checks. And thanks to everyone for sharing their stories on this platform! It helped us a lot to get through this long process! We filed our I-140 Oct 2021. And hopefully today we will get passports back, which will be almost 1,5 years since we started working on this adventure! Good luck to everyone waiting for their interviews. I really hope that Montreal will speed up !!

Just wanted to share my interview experience. Originally, was supposed to interview in Montreal, but switched to Paris embassy, because my husband is French, he is the main applicant. We had our interview in Paris on the 24th. The original documents we had to give in the first booth, the consular didn’t even look at any originals or police certificates. Asked my husband couple questions like, where does he work? If he is going to continue working in the same field. He didn’t ask me anything at all. After that he said that our visas were approved. When we got to the hotel, the CEAC status changed to Admin Processing. But we were not asked any additional documents, nor did we get and G221 form. When I did some digging, Administrative processing also means that the visa is approved, but not printed yet. Yesterday, May 31st the status finally changed to Issued. It was the same administrative processing for other people who interviewed with us the same day too. Just wanted to share that administrative processing does not always mean additional checks. And thanks to everyone for sharing their stories on this platform! It helped us a lot to get through this long process! We filed our I-140 Oct 2021. And hopefully today we will get passports back, which will be almost 1,5 years since we started working on this adventure! Good luck to everyone waiting for their interviews. I really hope that Montreal will speed up !!

Just wanted to share my interview experience. Originally, was supposed to interview in Montreal, but switched to Paris embassy, because my husband is French, he is the main applicant. We had our interview in Paris on the 24th. The original documents we had to give in the first booth, the consular didn’t even look at any originals or police certificates. Asked my husband couple questions like, where does he work? If he is going to continue working in the same field. He didn’t ask me anything at all. After that he said that our visas were approved. When we got to the hotel, the CEAC status changed to Admin Processing. But we were not asked any additional documents, nor did we get and G221 form. When I did some digging, Administrative processing also means that the visa is approved, but not printed yet. Yesterday, May 31st the status finally changed to Issued. It was the same administrative processing for other people who interviewed with us the same day too. Just wanted to share that administrative processing does not always mean additional checks. And thanks to everyone for sharing their stories on this platform! It helped us a lot to get through this long process! We filed our I-140 Oct 2021. And hopefully today we will get passports back, which will be almost 1,5 years since we started working on this adventure! Good luck to everyone waiting for their interviews. I really hope that Montreal will speed up !!

Just wanted to share my interview experience. Originally, was supposed to interview in Montreal, but switched to Paris embassy, because my husband is French, he is the main applicant. We had our interview in Paris on the 24th. The original documents we had to give in the first booth, the consular didn’t even look at any originals or police certificates. Asked my husband couple questions like, where does he work? If he is going to continue working in the same field. He didn’t ask me anything at all. After that he said that our visas were approved. When we got to the hotel, the CEAC status changed to Admin Processing. But we were not asked any additional documents, nor did we get and G221 form. When I did some digging, Administrative processing also means that the visa is approved, but not printed yet. Yesterday, May 31st the status finally changed to Issued. It was the same administrative processing for other people who interviewed with us the same day too. Just wanted to share that administrative processing does not always mean additional checks. And thanks to everyone for sharing their stories on this platform! It helped us a lot to get through this long process! We filed our I-140 Oct 2021. And hopefully today we will get passports back, which will be almost 1,5 years since we started working on this adventure! Good luck to everyone waiting for their interviews. I really hope that Montreal will speed up !!

When mailing starts, the following status will change, originally it shows the status of DS-260