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| Montreal, Canada |  Review on August 22, 2015: |
prolixus
Rating:  | Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
Just want to share my experience with the interview for the IR-1 visa at the Montreal, Canada consulate.
My interview was on Wednesday, August 19 2015. First of all, I was approved, and domicile was a major issue in my case. If domicile is an issue for you at the US consulate and you're worried, I suggest you read this post.
My appointment time was 9:30AM. I arrived pretty early, around 7:15 because I read on here that sometimes people with later appointments are let in early and it speeds things along for them. I don't know if they did that in the past, but they don't seem to be doing it now. The lady at the door advised me to come back at 9:15.
I went back to my hotel for about an hour, it was pretty close by. I ended up arriving back at the consulate at 9:00, a little earlier than she had said, but it was fine then and she just let me go through. I don't think it really mattered that much, I would say anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes before your appointment is a good time to arrive.
I brought very little with me, because I read on here that people get turned away for the littlest things. The receptionist/greeter will give you a ticket thing, which has your number on it (i.e interview #4, or whatever, for that day). All I had was my watch, my wallet and my documents. Security was very professional. As polite as they needed to be. Nothing to worry about or be afraid of. Just don't be an idiot and bring a laptop or something. I saw people get turned away for that.
When you have little with you, you breeze through security in about 30 seconds, it's very painless. If you aren't an idiot, you'll have no problems.
After security, you walk down the steps to another room. If you interview appointment time is later, there's generally nobody in this room. Just chairs and a photo booth for passport photos, and an elevator. If your appointment is earlier, I'm guessing you'll probably have to wait here to wait your turn to board the elevator. If not you just go straight on through.
In the elevator, there's only like two options. The 19th floor and something else, I don't really remember. But if you've read anything on here, you'll know to go to the 19th floor. Security and the receptionist person will tell you anyway.
So when I got to the 19th floor there's another person there to greet you. Sometimes they will just walk around the room, or they'll be right there when you get off the elevator. It was a girl when I was there and she was wearing a red vest that made her look like an employee. She was very friendly, and just ensures you know what to do once you arrive on the 19th floor.
There were lots of people there for non-immigrant visas. Thats what most people were there for. Then a few for immigrant, and a couple of people in the US citizen service section.
So once you arrive on the 19th floor, there's a bunch of windows. Five I believe. One and two were for immigrant visas, and three to five for non-immigrant. If you're there for an immigrant visa, there is just a speaker which will call your applicant number that you would have been given by the first person you spoke with at the consulate entrance. As people have stated before, these numbers just seem to be called at random, so 7 can be called before 4, and so on. Sometimes they are in order, sometimes they're not. It's pretty weird. Just listen closely for your number.
Then you get called to window number 1 or 2 (if you're there for an immigrant visa). The slip of paper that you're given first thing, by the receptionist person with your number for the day, tells you to have certain documents ready right away for this point. If i remember correctly, it was like, passport, interview letter, medical, and passport photos. Sure enough, when I got called after about an hour, she asked for all that first.
She then asked me for the i-864 for my spouse and co-sponsor, and supporting financial docs. Then my original birth certificate, police clearance and marriage certificate. That's about all she needed, and they take your fingerprints right there at that window. If you're there for a non-immigrant visa, they take your fingerprints at window 6. The lady at window 1 was very nice and polite.
She then gave me the domestic violence pamphlet and told me that I could wait in the same section I was waiting before and I'd get called again, by the same number I was assigned earlier. After about another hour, I was called again, this time to window number 7.
Window's 7 and 8 were all that I could see were open for the actual "interview". Although, the lights for window 8 were not on, so it seemed none were going on in there, just window 7.
I was interview by a young white male, probably the same guy people have mentioned before. He is also in a window type thing, but it's in a room and more secluded. I don't know what people are talking about when they say everyone can hear their business, because when I was there it was pretty noisy, and I couldn't hear anything from anyone else's interview or even at the window's.
Anyway, I went in and was told by the man to read the oath thing. It's posted on his window. Once I did that, he asked the pretty basic questions. When did you meet your spouse first, how did you meet, when did you get married. He asked who my co-sponsor was and what his employment was. Then he asked where my wife lived, I said she lives with me in Canada. He then didn't say anything, but I knew what to do at this point. I let about 3 seconds pass and said I had a pile of documents proving my wife intends to re-establish domicile at the time I enter the US or before. All he said was "Ok, lay it on me". He was extremely friendly and personable, made me feel at ease.
So I first handed him a glossary I made of the documents I had for domicile. Theres a template for one going around, if you google it you should be able to find it. It includes your petitioners name, SSN, that its for form i-864 and pertains to proving reestablishment of domicile in good faith.
On it there's two sections, one for the steps your US petitioner has taken to reestablish domicile, and the supporting docs you have to prove it. The stuff we had were, a lease from my spouse's mothers house that we put together (if you actually have a place to stay when you arrive, draft a lease, it is VERY important, you can find templates for a lease in any state on the internet). she applied for many jobs, i had lots of proof of that. never had an actual offer of employment. voters registration card, letter from canadian employer stating she intended to resign, letter proving we were relinquishing residence in canada.
However, ALL HE NEEDED WAS THE GLOSSARY. It stated under it that she declared everything in it was accurate, signed and dated. He kept that form. Didn't even need to see the lease. He just asked me if I actually had it. He didn't need anything else. The glossary and the lease were what did it.
After that, he asked me where I had found that I should have all this information for domicile, and asked what they can do to better inform people that basically, it's needed, because he hates denying visas but he has to because people just don't come prepared. I told him it may be a good idea to lay if out better on the instructions for the I-864, and I told him that I and found everything online and on the state dept website. Loads of people have gone through this before, so I read everything I could about the people who succeeded in the interview and those who had failed, and why.
I'm thinking that the consular people probably visit these sites. I mean, if I was a consular officer I would. But they probably can't post or give people advice.
He was a genuinely nice person. If you are prepared for your interview and your marriage/engagement is real, there is absolutely nothing to worry about. And if domicile is an issue for you, go prepared. Get the glossary, get the documents and do the work. It's all about how much effort you put in to it. My spouse spent hours searching for jobs and a lot of time arranging the lease with her mom. If we can do it anyone should be able to. I know that CO's can be different and have different opinions on what's accepted, but if you have everything they ask for (mainly lease/home purchase and employment offer/employment search proof) you should not have any problems.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #17614