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Canada US Consulate Reviews
Average Rating: 4.2
/ 5
1649 Review(s)
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| Montreal, Canada |  Review #663 on June 29, 2006: |
happyimmigrant
Rating: 
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: K1 Visa
Our interview was scheduled for 9:40 am. We headed over to the US Consulate at 7:30. There were a few people milling about outside the doors, and a couple security guards were there. The consulate itself is completely nondescript - there are no signs, and the entrance is off the side of a building - if you didn't know just where to look for it, you'd have no hope of ever finding it.
At 7:45 they opened the doors and let us in. We were amongst the first allowed inside. They checked my interview letter first, and Holly's US passport. We were sent through a metal detector, and our belongings X-rayed, just like at an airport. Some people who got in before us had things they were not allowed to have (cell phone, etc) and had to sign them in to retrieve later. As a result, we were the first ones sent through to the elevator waiting room. We sat down and waited for the elevator to open (it had a temporary barrier against it).
At 8:00, a guard came in, removed the barrier, and opened the elevator. We were the first ones in - knowing that we would be exiting out the back of the elevator, we went straight to the back - but then turned around to face the front, as one would normally do in an elevator. Everyone else that entered saw us facing the front, and did the same. The doors shut and we rode up to the 19th floor. It arrived, we turned around, and the door opened, letting us out first. Holly headed right, but I knew to turn left out of the elevator, saw Window 14, and lined up in front of it immediately. We were first in line. The woman checked my letter and gave us a ticket - C1, first one of the day. Even though our interview was not scheduled until 9:40 am, we knew that it was actually done on a first-come first-served basis. Holly heard the couple behind us muttering and complaining that they didn't get to be first in line. They got ticket C2.
Every window in the place is thick bulletproof glass, you talk to the employees through a speaker, and there is a small slot at the bottom to pass documents through.
We sat and waited for about 15 minutes until our ticket was called. We got called to window 8, where a woman asked for my documents in rapid fire - faster than I could produce them. She seemed to be satisfied with what I gave her, however. I did not give her any financial support information, any photographs - nothing except the official USCIS forms that they wanted, my passport, my passport pictures (2), medical packet, and the other things on the checklist they had sent in Packet 3. When she asked one question, and I answered "no" rather softly, she looked up, not having heard. Holly said to her, "he said no." She butted in, "I didn't ask YOU, I asked HIM." She was really not very nice.
She then told us to return to Window 14, pay our $100 fee, and return with the receipt to her window. She said, even if she wasn't there, just to slip the receipt through the slot. She told us not to wait for her there, because we would miss being called for our interview. We headed off to Window 14, paid our $100 (US, cash), got our receipt, and returned to Window 14. By then, there was another employee there, talking to two more clients. We stood there for about five minutes waiting for her to finish with them. I told Holly to go back to the waiting room in case our number was called for the interview. A minute later, it became obvious that the people at that window were confused and disorganized and were going to be there a long time. I butted in and asked the woman behind the window if I could put my receipt through the slot. She said, "oh, just put it through the slot in the window next to me, that will be fine." So I did, and returned to the waiting room.
We waited. And waited. Ticket C2 was called, the couple got up and went to their interview. I heard my name called, asking me to go to Window 8 again. We got up, and the original woman was there. She asked where my receipt was. I told her that I had put it through the next window, as the other woman had told me to. She very angrily said, "well that is NOT what *I* told you to do! I don't care what SHE told you to do, *I* said to put it through THIS window!" She found my receipt, and we returned to the waiting area. As we left her area, I was muttering obscenities under my breath about how this was so typical of this entire process, how you are continually told contradictory things by different people, and Holly quickly hushed me up, sensing that a year's worth of frustration with this idiotic system was about to emerge just before our interview. She was probably right.
The C2 couple emerged from their interview. They had been in there for a good 20 minutes. They did not look happy. They had looked nervous to begin with, and as they were leaving, Holly thought that the girl was blinking as if holding back tears. Not good. We were called into our interview shortly after.
The interview itself was the easiest part of this entire process. The interviewer was a kind and polite man who didn't bother with any formalities - no swearing of oaths, nothing. He immediately put us at ease. He asked us how we met, where we planned to live, and when we were going to get married. That was it! We answered together, and I think it was rather apparent that we were together and happy. He told us to come back at 2:30 the next day to get the visa, and gave us a little card that would gain us entry back into the consulate. It was 9:30 am.
| | | Montreal, Canada | Review #655 on June 22, 2006: |
Harding
Rating: 
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
The interview at Montreal was flawless. The building (and entrance) was easy to find, there was a modest linup but no chaos. Thanks to info from vj I knew exactly where to go and what to expect. I arrived at 6:45am - a bit too early! - and returned later with coffee and newspaper in hand to wait at the door. Doors opened at 7:30, passed through security, after a brief wait an officer escorted everyone to the 18th floor. Took numbers, called in to submit documents (passport and medical info), brief wait again, and then the "interview." Interview consisted of four questions - any trouble with law (no), any trouble crossing the border into U.S. (no), when did you meet, when did you get married. The interviewing officer then told me that our visa was approved, and that I should expect the official green card in the mail within 2-3 weeks.
We're now happily together... it's over, and it was all worth it!!! 
| | | Montreal, Canada | Review #647 on June 19, 2006: |
Shauna
Rating: 
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: K1 Visa
No problems, very fast and polite.
| | | Vancouver, Canada | Review #639 on June 14, 2006: |
toneman
Rating:
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: K3 Visa
Well I finally got my K-3 Visa after waiting so patiently!! My interview was at 10am and of course I got there early. So I stood in line. There were people who had bags and cell phones and were turned away at the door of the consulate.
My actual interview happened at about 11:30am after all my paper work was checked out by the lady in the booth. I DID NOT need an affidavit of support for my K-3 visa(I-134 form). So I guess you can take that out from the US embassy profile for Vancouver. However, the lady infront of me had a K-1 visa and they did ask her for the affidavit of support. So I guess ONLY K-3 visas don't need one! The lady told me to go and pay $100 for application fee.
The guy who interviewed me was cool. He was joking with me while asking me questions about my wife. He asked me where we met?,How long ago?,Why do I want to move to the US?.Why she doesn't want to come here?..He also asked me if I watch the show "24". I said No. Why?. And then he said that there is a character in there who looks like me and has the same name as me..Tony.. I started laughing and told him that I'd watch it next time it came on.
Now I will be going to the US in July after my wife comes here to visit me in Canada. I am so excited. I want to thank everyone at VJ for all the helpful answers to my questions.
I will keep you informed once move there and start my AOS!!
Thanks
Tony
| | | Vancouver, Canada | Review #633 on June 10, 2006: |
Waiting in Vancouver
Rating:
Click here if you found this review helpful | Review Topic: K1 Visa
As promised here are the details of my interview in Vancouver. I would like to apologize now for how long this posted ended up being. My fiancée tells me I can ramble on at times well I think this is one of those times.
First off I like to say that the whole experience going through Vancouver was excellent.
I left early from my house, as I wasn’t sure how bad traffic would be. It turned out that traffic was just fine so I ended up arriving 45 minutes early for my 10:00am appointment. I wandered around for about 15 minutes and decided to pop my head in the door of the consulate at about 9:30am. The security officer told me to come back in 15 minutes.
I returned at 9:45am and they told me to come in. At the first security check (yes first as there is another one on the 20th floor) I had to give them my passport and interview letter. They went through my folder with all of my paperwork in great detail to make sure I didn’t have anything dangerous. I suggest that people don’t do what I did and have all your evidence for on going relationship in individual zip lock bags as they opened up many of mine. When I was done with security, the one security officer took my passport and put it back in my folder. I asked if she could put it at the front compartment but I guess she didn’t hear me and tossed it in one of the middle ones. I was kind of ticked as I was trying to keep my folder very organized. Anyways I rubbed it off and proceeded up the stairs.
Once you go up the flight of stairs you go through the door and the next security officer asks you what type of Visa you are there for. I told him I was here for a K-1 Visa and he said for me to follow him. We got on the elevator and went up to 20th floor. Once you step out of the elevator you have to go through another security check. The officer asked me for my passport and interview letter so of course now I am fumbling through my folder to see where the other security officer put my passport and letter. I eventually find it (of course muttering to my self the whole time) and hand it to the officer. Once again they search through all of my zip lock bags again (did I mention that zip lock bags weren’t such a great idea ). They then brought me into a room and led down to the little section on the left side of the room where they put the K-1ers.
By this time it is about 10:10am. In total there were 3 of us for K-1 Visas. The first lady was called up at about 10:30am. I was called up at about 10:40am. The officer at the booth asked me for all of my paperwork. It really does help to be organized as she asks for each piece of paper. Once she is finished she hands me some papers and tells me to walk down the hall and at the end to pay the cashier my $100.00 US processing fee and to return to her with my receipt. The last couple was called up at about 10:50am. We were all completed this stage by 11:00am. We sat around talking and what not for the next 45 minutes.
The room they sit you in was very warm and jammed with people. At least the K-1ers get a little section off to the side. If possible I suggest that you dress light with a jacket that you can take off as all of us found it uncomfortably warm.
The first lady was called up at about 11:45am and she was finished with in 5 minutes. She came back with a smile on her face and said it was very simple and that she was approved. I was called up right after her and my interview was very short as well. The officer started with a little chit-chat then started with the interview. The questions were as follows:
1) How did the two of you meet
2) When was the first time you met in person.
3) How often do you visit each other
4) What made you two decided for you to move to the US rather your fiancée to move to Canada
5) How old are her kids
6) What do you do for a living
7) Do you have any pictures of the two of you
That was basically it for the interrogation. After some more chit-chat he said everything looks good and congratulations. He told me that I could return at 2:00pm to pick up my Visa. It was now 11:55am.
You exit out back in the direction that you went to pay the processing fee. Once you go through the door the security officers tell you to take the elevator down to the ground floor. Once I got down to the lobby I went down to the parking level to my car to get my cell phone so that I could call my fiancée at work and tell her the good news. Of course she was very happy and told her co-workers that I got the visa.
I walked down to Gastown to buy my fiancée a Vancouver Canada sweatshirt she had seen on her visit here in May. I walked back to the Consulate and had lunch and watched some of the soccer (football) game at the restaurant across from the Consulate. I returned to the Consulate at 2:00pm and went back through the two security checks and back up to the 20th floor to get my Visa. I was there for only 5 minutes and was called up to the window. The officer explained the details of the Visa (which I already knew because of the wonderful people here on VJ) and handed my passport back to me with the new Visa in it. He also handed me a brown envelope that I am to give to the officer when I enter the US at my POE.
It really was a breeze and I stressed way more about it then I should have. We are very relieved that this part of the process is over. It is now time to start sorting out what has to be done before I leave Canada. At least I still have about 6 weeks to deal with all of that.
We would both like to really thank all of the people of VJ because without all of your advice and information this part of the process would have been very hard. I know we will be seeking more help in the future as we approach the next stages. THANK YOU
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