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| Montreal, Canada |  Review on March 7, 2013: |
goodbuck25
Rating:  | Review Topic: FB-4
This is also for all F4's who have waited the longest - my 13 years journey came to a happy ending yesterday March 6, 2013.
First interview - Being Swiss we had our initial interview scheduled in Switzerland January 5, 2011 but because we live in Canada now and having Canadian citizenship too, we had to have our files transferred to Montreal which delayed our process for about 5 months. We had informed NVC early during processing that we reside in Canada and not Switzerland, but our interview was scheduled in Switzerland. Luckily the petitioner, my brother (US Citizen) also received a notice of Approval I-797 letter, otherwise we would never have known of our case as we no longer live in Switzerland.
VERY IMPORTANT FOR DUAL NATIONALS : Inform NVC early in the process in which country you would like to have your interview done. Get this cleared and confirmed in advance. They will schedule your interview in that country whose address/country of residence you had mentioned in your original I-130 application. We had informed USCIS and NVC many years ago about our change of address/residence.
Second interview was scheduled in Montreal June 10, 2011. About a week before our interview we were informed by the consulate that our interview has been cancelled due to "retrogession". We had already done our medicals, police certificates etc. Our Priority date became current again in August 2012, but there were no appointments available and the first one available was March 6, 2013, which we considered "lucky to have one at last".
Final interview - I will skip the security procedures which have already been mentioned XXXX times here - except that there were a couple of people being sent out because of the large pieces of purses/bags that they had. It says on your Appointment letter not to bring large bags, but maybe people don't read that part. Don't know.
There were a couple of people before us as we came out of the elevator and then lined up at window 14a/14b where we got ticket C5. Then we move to the far side of the waiting area where there are windows 1 2 3 and 4 where you submit your documents, photos and are finger printed.
VJ member MsHogan (who's review is on top) was before us (with 4 binders!!! and 2 cute kids) at window C1 and I think she was there for about 20 minutes and then we were called up. It also took us around 15-20 minutes where we had to give the young lady a new updated DS 230, newer IRS tax Transcripts for 2011 from petitioner, Passports, new Police certificates, new medicals, new photos and got finger prints done. Then were told to go wait and will soon be called for interview.
After about 10 minutes our number is called - "C5 to window 7 please" - the CO is a very nice and kind gentleman in his 50's. The moment I saw him I felt comfortable. He began with something like "this has been a long journey for you" - I tell him yes, this has been an extremely long journey for us.
Then he begins to click something on his computer - lots of clicks later - he mentions that he is pulling our files but is having some problems. then tells us to wait (I think Oh! these never ending problems) goes to another lady, comes back, more clicks and clacks, same problems - our files are not showing up (Oh! mama mia) so he tells us to go back to waiting room and we will be called again. You can imagine my thoughts...well 5 minutes wait and we get called again.
Here's how it went : All of us have to raise our hands, take the oath... how many times I have been married (once), my wife same question (once), to my 22 year old son same question (laughs, not yet, no thoughts about it) and then questions about what is my profession, when was the last time I was in US, my brother's profession, where he lives in the US, my wife's profession, my son's profession (actor) to which he looks at me and says, "I know where you guys will be moving to".
(For me that means you are good to go USA). And then the CO is only talking to my son about his favorite movies, Star Wars and stuff and all is he! he! ha! ha!
Then my son has to sign on some Military service something, I have forgotten the name of the document...
In the end I ask him about my older son (who is 26 now). Sadly he has aged out and the CO tells us to apply for him as soon as we get to the US.
And then we get handed the paper with "Welcome to the United States of America".
As we only have Swiss passports and always use them for travel, we saw no use in also getting our Canadian passports. The consulate in Montreal only puts visas on Canadian passports so the CO said we can get our Canadian passports made urgently in Montreal office and bring them in the afternoon or get them done in Toronto and then send them to the Montreal consulate for visas.
With a laugh and a tear we leave the consulate at 10 am...head towards a Tim Hortons about 200 meters away.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #11593