We would like to note that anyone going to the Consulate in Vancouver should give themselves LOTS of time to get there! Traffic can be terrible, especially on weekdays, and they do not allow you to line up more than 15 minutes early to your interview. There are three parking garages around the Consulate. One is south and two are north. We paid for 2 hours of parking which came to about $20 CAD. It also rains a lot in Vancouver so dress appropriately and be prepared! I (Amy) have family there so I wasn't too shocked about traffic or weather. John on the other hand had some adjusting to do. :P
The interview was scheduled for 10:00, but we did not get into the building until 10:35. We went to the interview together and we both found that the Consulate staff and security in Vancouver were nice and helpful. We were a bit concerned that they would be like airport security, but that was not the case. We waited the longest in the queue line - which can get a bit chilly considering it is outside - but the process went quickly for us considering how many others were ahead in line.
Before the interview started we had to go to a separate window in the same room. A lady took everything I needed for my Packet 3 and handed us a number. John and I waited 30-45 minutes in the waiting room before I was called. As for my interview it went by relatively fast. All the basic questions were asked. The man doing my interview was professional, but he did make the occasional joke which made me feel comfortable. I will also note that it took place inside of a cubicle-like set up instead of the awful interrogation room setting I was expecting. He liked that I had brought my own copy of the I-129F with me to the interview as well as proof we had obtained in the months since. He didn't ask to look at it up close, but I did spread it out for him on my side of the glass partition. He asked to see John once during the interview before asking him to sit back down. He was a friendly man and congratulated me on the approval of our Visa and wished me luck in the United States.
All in all it was a good experience for the both of us. We arrived at 9:30 AM and left at 1:00 PM (not counting the time it took us to drive there from Surrey).
Consulate / USCIS Member Review #13812
Review on February 6, 2014:
