Rose416

Hi Vero,

I assume it would be the same experience at Montreal. The officers might want to search your bags, so you would need to bring them with you.

I was recommended to make a written list of all of my belongings in specific suitcases. Sometimes the officer will just scan over the list rather than go through the bags.

I hope this is all they'll do! I didn't do a very good packing job (:

I haven't received my package yet. If it doesn't arrive by Wednesday I'm rescheduling my flight. I probably shouldn't have booked it, but there were only 2 seats left on the flight I wanted so I'll take my chances! Hopefully my visa will be in my mail box tomorrow!!!!

I hope you manage to sleep tonight. Good luck tomorrow. You will do great!!!

Thank you for your replies. I'm no longer nervous!!!

Vero,

You have nothing to be nervous about. Your relationship is real! Be honest and confident and answer all of your questions with a smile. This whole K1 process is quite invasive, but if you've done the paperwork and been honest throughout you will come out of that interview smiling!

Be happy, you're almost at the finish line! Honestly, apart from the waiting, the interview was so easy. I felt proud and excited to talk about my fiance. The interviewer isn't looking for elaborate responses. They want the truth but it all goes so fast and it feels natural. I had originally been nervous because my fiance and I have only known each other for a year and last year we travelled and were unemployed. None of that came up at the interview.

You have a cosponsor right? You'll do great!!! Just believe in yourself because you have nothing to be afraid of. I've read your list of required documents. You've gone over and beyond what is expected. You are ready!!!

Hello,

I'll be making my POE at Toronto Pearson next week and am unsure about the process. I've been reading reviews but still have a few questions.

When and to whom do I declare that I'd like to activate my K1 visa?

Also, do I check in with my airline (VirginAmerica) before hand? I'm concerned because I will be arriving before the check-in counters open. I plan on giving myself at least 4 hours before my flight.

Also, for anyone flying to LA, Virgin has just launched a new direct route from Toronto. They fly to other US cities as well, and the fares are pretty reasonable. They also allow you to check in up to 10 bags (for a $25 fee/bag.)

Thanks for your help!!

Congratulations! You must be so excited!!

This is a great idea Vero! I love telling people our story (:

Clay and I met in Peru. We actually flew into the same airport (Santiago, Chile) on the same day, but didn't meet until 5 months later! We basically stayed in the same cities and towns without meeting one another. I was living in Cusco for 6 weeks and he was there the entire time, going to different bars, restaurants, but we never crossed paths. Finally, in May he introduced himself at a cafe in Huaraz, Peru. He asked me about the book collection and we hit it off. I was meant to go off on a hike with someone from the hostel, but they cancelled last minute, so Clay and I got to spend the entire day chatting. We eventually went on several treks together and he decided to extend his trip by another 2 months to travel with me. I then followed him to California, and the rest is history.

I like to think that one day, years from now, we'll go back to that cafe in Peru and remember how far we've come (;

I was told my visa should be here by next Monday or Tuesday, so I'd like to fly to LA on Thursday. I haven't booked my flight yet. My POE will be Toronto Pearson and I plan on giving myself plenty of time. I cannot wait! We're hoping to have our civil ceremony and a celebration with friends on August 27th. None of this is going to feel real until I am in his arms again (: I'm dreaming!!

Thank you so much!

I am home from Montreal now and just ripped up my Package 4 letter! It's nice to finally say goodbye to the Montreal Consulate!

I had my K1 interview on Tuesday, August 3rd, and here is a little info on my experience.

I hope you find it useful and comforting at the same time. The prep leading up to the interview is stressful and the waiting long and frustrating, but before you know it you'll be celebrating too!

OK..so my mom and I stayed at Hotel St. Denis on Rue St. Denis (www.hotel-st-denis.com). If you're a CAA member it's pretty affordable. We had a nice big room with two double beds and a big TV for $107/night. Very comfortable, quiet and close to the Consulate. I could have walked but opted to take a cab ride (4 minutes away, $6) on the day of my interview.

Rue St. Denis also has lots of affordable restaurants, including an Italian one next door to the hotel. Delicious tiramisu

On the dreaded Interview Day, I woke up at 5 got to the consulate for 6:20am and was the only one there until a handful of people showed up around 6:45. The line grew rapidly around 7. Get there early! The doors were unlocked at 7:30am. Have your passport and Package 4 letter ready and remember: no electronics or food is permitted. I had my file folder in a plastic bag and was allowed to bring in an umbrella.

First in line, I was sent to the waiting room downstairs (in the dark as they hadn't turned on any lights yet!) I was given a number and soon after called by security to enter the secondary waiting room. After a brief wait my name was announced on the speaker (make sure you sit on the left side of the room otherwise you can't hear the announcements).

At the booth I was asked for:

- Passport + 1 copy (doesn't need to be notarized)

- Long form birth certificate + 1 copy (same as above)

- Package 4 letter with scheduled interview date

- Criminal record for Canada and UK (I lived there for 18 months)

- 2 Passport pics

- Recent letter of consent from Petitioner

- Affadavit of support/ co-sponsor + evidence of support (I had a photocopy of my fiance's birth certificate as they asked for proof of citizenship to back up support. Also incl., letter from employer, tax papers from 2009, signed letter from bank showing opening of account and activity, pay stubs.)

- Proof of domicile (rent agreement, recent hydro bill and visa bill)

- my massive Expresspost envelope (12*15) with my address filled in (don't put the consulates address)

- sealed medical results (they didn't ask for the x-ray. Why the heck do we have to carry that thing around then?!?!)

They didn't ask for any evidence of a relationship. I had email printouts and photos just in case.

I was asked if I had the printouts of form DS-160 (I only included the confirmation page when I sent in Package 3 as I had printer issues and didn't want to redo the form.)They didn't seem to mind that I didn't have it however.

I was then asked to go to the cashier and pay the $350 US. You are allowed to pay with credit cards or the Canadian equivalency. After this I waited again, until I was called back to my original booth to show my receipt and scan my fingerprints. Easy.

All of this was completed by 8:30am. Then the fun really began. The people I had waited outside with (early arrivals) started being called in for interviews (one guy was there for a k3 interview and others were receiving immigration). As the time rolled on and people came and went I started to get nervous. Did they forget about me? Why the heck am I still waiting at 10:30am? I thought I would be done and back at the hotel for breakfast by 9:30!! I noticed another couple who had been waiting since 7:30am. They were also k1-ers and equally nervous/annoyed. There are no phones in the consulate and only a couple of vending machines, so as the clock struck noon I was getting hungry and concerned for my worried mom and fiance (waiting for my news in California).

Finally at around 12:30 I was called up to another booth. At this point I was one of the half-dozen left in the once packed waiting room. I was told that I was a 'guinea pig' as the staff gets accustomed to a new K1 program. I suppose this is why there were no July interviews?? I had to stand at the window for 10 minutes while a group of people went over my file together and took notes for their own reference. Everyone was being really nice and apologetic and even joked with me about the whole thing.

So by the time I was called into the interview room at 1:15pm I was no longer nervous. I took an oath, and answered the simple questions. My interviewer was very friendly and joked about my fiance being a body builder in Venice beach (he isn't). He asked how we met and what my fiance does for work. He questioned my passport as I travelled lots before and have many stamps! We talked about the UK because he used to live there and he asked what I did for work while I was there on a working-holiday visa. He asked if I was ready to 'settle down'. YES!!!! He asked what I did for work and if we had our wedding date booked. Then, 5 minutes later he congratulated me for my visa being approved. I asked if it could be expedited (a K3er was told to come back tomorrow to pick up his passport) but this was nicely denied. He assured me it would be in my hands soon.

That's about it! 7 hours of waiting for a 5 minute interview! I am so happy it's over and wish you all the best of luck.

my thoughts for you is : eat a big breakfast before hand and bring a good book! Also, breathe!! You're going to do fine

At the end of the day I got a piece of paper from the consulate congratulating me on my engagement. Next week I will be with my fiance to finally celebrate and put all of this waiting and separation behind us.

Finally!

Hi Vero,

You are so prepared!!! You'll do great.

Two 'issues' that came up at my interview today were:

1/ Missing DS-160 printout from my package 3. The only concern with this is the consulate trying to sort through the kinks of their new on-line system. (Me not printing out the pages didn't affect my 7 hour wait!) but I think they like to have the hard copy to review with you. The confirmation page is the most important, but they didn't even ask to see any of my other documents from Package 3.

2/ Proof of petitioner's citizenship. It looks like you have a photocopy of your fiance's passport. Perfect! I panicked a little because I didn't think I had this or needed it, but it turns out my fiance was smart enough to stick a photocopy of his birth certificate into my interview package (:

Despite these concerns, I got approved (:

Also, you only need two passport pictures and they ask for the original of your Criminal check. They don't want photocopies. Only a photocopy of your passport and birth certificate are needed, as well as your originals.

Before my interview, a woman walked through my paperwork with me to clear up any discrepancies and confirm information. It was all very relaxed and she was very understanding about any changes that had been made from the original Package 3 documents (my fiance had his phone number).

They didn't ask for any relationship proof and I felt disappointed afterward because I had spent so much time gathering info! Oh well. At least I can keep all of our photos now!

Also, as soon as I paid my fee at the beginning of the day, I knew I was approved and reminded myself this when the panic set in before my actual interview (7 hours later!!!)

Also,everyone at the consulate is very friendly and welcoming.

You'll do great!

(I guess this is my mini-review). I have more info, for later

Hello August Interviewees! I've got good news ~~~~~~~ I GOT APPROVED!!!!!!

I will write my full review tomorrow (I took mental notes to share with you all).

The only thing I'll let you know is - be prepared to WAIT!

I arrived at the consulate first thing. 6:30am, no one in line. I didn't leave until 1:30pm. I was one of the last to leave. Ridiculous! It turns out that I was a 'guinea pig' for a new online program (D-160) for K1 visas. By the time I got called into the interview I didn't feel nervous, just annoyed and cranky.

HAHA. So, relax, get your paperwork together, have a good breakfast and bring a good book. Once they tell you you're approved nothing else matters!

I am going to celebrate with my mom in rainy Montreal.

:dance: :dance: :dance:

Which one of our August interviewees has the longest distance to travel to get to Montreal?

I'm taking VIA rail from Toronto to Montreal. I think it will take me 6 hours. My mom and I were going to drive but have decided to avoid getting lost, as we're notorious for it (even with a GPS)

OK, so I had a relaxing weekend at my family cabin, and now that I'm home and packing for Montreal I am freaking out!!!!!

No more calm, collected me. I am mostly anxious about getting to Montreal and have been having visions of the train breaking down, or some natural disaster preventing my interview from happening.

I'm only going from Toronto to Montreal. I can't imagine people flying in from the Prairies or East Coast. What stress!

Anyway, I'll let you know how it all goes as soon as I get back. I'll be home Wednesday evening so please expect an optimistic review

August is finally here!!!!!!

HA ha Vero, I'm not freaking out just yet.

I feel prepared for the interview. All I need now is to visit the bank and get my $350 US. The train is booked to leave for Montreal Monday morning at 6am (ugh). My mom is accompanying me and so I'm mostly looking forward to spending a few days sightseeing and eating poutine with her.

I am excited about the interview however. I actually cannot sleep at night! I am sure I will be all smiles on Tuesday morning, even at 6:30 am!

This is an exciting time for all of us. I hope you are all enjoying your time with family and friends and having a beautiful Canadian summer. Before you know it, all of this waiting and separation from our partners will be over with! I swore to Clay that I will never be away from him for this long ever again. It's a really happy thought.

I'm off to the cabin for a few days of relaxation before I leave for Montreal. Have a great weekend and I'll post my review as soon as I get back to Toronto.

Excellent question!

From my research I figure I'll have to open a new account with a US bank. I'm a TD banker and there aren't any branches in California (my soon to be new home too).

I know that Paypal allows the transfer and conversion between banks, but has a 10% service charge.

I have an ING savings account and apparently I can add a US bank account to it and transfer money to and from my Canadian bank for free.

I am going to hold onto my Canadian bank account as well.

As for earning credit, I don't know how I'll go about this. My fiance and I plan on opening up a joint account as well as my own independent account.

Hope this helps!

I am so sorry to read about your Grandmother HalfnHalf. I hope you have lots of extra time to spend with her.

If you're not being interviewed in August, I am sure you'll have something scheduled for early September. It will be here before you know it!

Good news! I guess I harassed the heck out of cardio and got my doctor involved too. My echo exam results are in ahead of schedule and I'll be faxing them to Seiden later today! Woo Hoo! This means all of my paperwork is ready for the interview!!

11 more days! AGGGGH!

I know what you mean Wishing!!! Gosh, I'm so excited all the time, and so hyper, as if I had just downed 5 Red Bulls! But, trying to focus on these forms, almost done!!!

HA ha! Don't do that! You'll get a heart murmur !!

Oh well, I guess it's OK because you don't have a medical exam to go through anymore.

I've called my family doctor to begin harassing the hospital for my echo results. If I don't get them by next Monday I'm going to bring out my tough side. Look out!

You're right Wishing. I keep thinking that in less than a month I'll be with my guy again, planning a wedding. I can't sleep at night with all of this excitement!

I am nervous.

My interview is just around the corner and I am STILL waiting for my Echo exam results! I need to fax them to the Toronto civil surgeon ASAP! Ugh. All of this is for a murmur that I don't have. I blame the strong cup of coffee for making my heart bump on my medical exam day, and have sworn to give it up because I am just so annoyed.

I'm going to start phoning the hospital every day until they give me my results.

Other than that, I feel pretty ready for the interview. I am just praying that everything goes smoothly at the interview.

Good luck with your prep work and look forward to my review of Montreal!!!! YAY!

I kind of panicked when I saw your post about expiring I-134 forms. My interview is in two weeks and I don't think I could get the new forms filled out in time.

I looked on VJ for advice and read that the expiry date refers to the edition of the form expiring. When I looked at the USCIS website it notes that 'previous editions are accepted'. So I guess the date doesn't really matter??

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=fe3647a55773d010VgnVCM10000048f3d6a1RCRD&vgnextchannel=db029c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD

I hope this is correct. Anyway, I guess I'll let you know after the interview. If you can have the forms filled out again, do it. Better safe than sorry I suppose. Hopefully I won't be sorry

Time is flying by!

I've been so busy trying to sort out my medical mishap, that I haven't even thought about the Interview!

I went for my EKG yesterday (I was lucky to get a last minute appointment) and they were equally confused about my heart. I do not have a murmur, but for some reason my heart decided to behave all funny at the medical exam! Anyway, the results are on there way to my GP and I'll have those faxed to Dr. Seiden in Toronto. Phew!

Hope you all are enjoying this beautiful Canadian summer! My fiance told me that LA has been mostly overcast and is jealous of all of the sun we're getting.

rose they did the same thing to me back in january, except they tried to tell me i had breast lumps and possible cancer!!!!

got it checked out ultrasound, xrays etc..nothing wrong..it's just how mine are lol they are occasionally lumpy faxed it all back and we were good to go..truth be told cost me an extra month of waiting but it was dealt with.

Wow Kimbear! I would have been so scared. After hearing about the heart murmur I freaked out. My GP calmed me down later and reassured me that it's nothing to be concerned about. Just another necessary obstacle to get over.

I cannot wait to get this visa!!!

Thanks for posting the list Vero. I love seeing how far we've come.

HalfnHalf, I really hope this is your lucky week! Are you going to call on Friday? Good luck!

I just had a stressful day at my doctor trying to sort out my medical exam issues. I didn't mention it in my review, but the doctor at my medical exam detected a slight heart murmur. I guess this is a big deal for immigration because they put my case on hold until I receive furthur testing. Urgh. I wasn't even aware I had a heart murmur!

Neither was my doctor! Today she checked me and couldn't find one! This isn't good enough for the consulate however. I have to get an echo heart exam and have everything faxed to the civil surgeon ASAP. Thank god I gave myself enough time before the interview!!!

I hope you're all having a great summer and not stressing out too much about the interview.

My medical exam went well, but I have to fax in some more vaccine proof It was in Toronto and was super easy to schedule. I posted my review on the Canada Forum.

Happy Canada Day!!!!!!!

The number I called was for the Halton region.

Here's a list of the different departments...

https://www.publichealthontario.ca/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=217&PageID=0&parentname=Opener&parentid=0&cached=true&mode=2&userID=11863