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| Montreal, Canada |  Review on February 24, 2017: |
karice
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
When I was going through my process, I found it so incredibly helpful to read what people had to say about their own experiences. Now that ours is done, I wanted to share! If you have any more specific questions, feel free to respond to this post, or message me privately.
This is exclusively about my experience with the consulate and interview.
My appointment was scheduled for 8:30 am on Wednesday the 22nd. I am not from the area, so I had picked up my medical from Medisys the day before and it was stored away with the rest of the materials I needed to bring to my interview. I was extremely prepared for the interview, and had all of my documents in one of the large zippered bags used for bank deposits. This kept everything together nicely and had no problem passing clearance at the consulate. I'd heard mixed things about what documents would be asked for at the interview, so I compiled much more than I was asked, just in case. Below is a brief list of what that was.
I brought:
-a complete copy of our I129F along with a copy of all the evidences
-originals and copies of every piece of written and electronic communication between the USCIS/consulate and us
-updated evidences from the initial submission
-two copies of my ds160
-long form birth certificate and copy
-passport and copy of biographic info page
-police check and copy
-I134 and supporting documents (W2s for the last four years, last years full tax return, last years paystubs, letter from employer, letter from the bank)
-two US passport sized photos
-evidence of petitioners domicile (US military records and a lease)
-original (and copy) of a letter of intent from the petitioner
I'm sure that I'm missing a few things, but I brought a lot!
Now for day of! My fiance and I arrived at the consulate early, 7:50 am for a 8:30 am appointment. I am glad that I brought my phone to use for directions because otherwise I may not have found it. The consulate is located on a small side street in the larger SNC Lavellin building. There was a security guard and administrator in the front entry when we arrived, and they were both very polite to us. We were told that I was too early for my appointment, and that I should grab a coffee at the Starbucks across the street and relax a bit before coming back at 8:15. She also told me that I was able to bring my US fiance with me for support. We did that, and when we arrived back, she explained to me that appointments are schedule in a bit of a window format. So I schedule for 8:30, what that really means is that I can arrive and get in line anywhere between 8:15 and 8:45. Don't go expecting to be seen at the exact scheduled time. When I walked in, I verbally confirmed my name, appointment time and appointment type. The administrator confirmed it within her systems, and the security guard checked the passports of myself and my fiance. I was given a laminated sheet with a larger number on it, and a list of documents and the order that they should be in.
You go through a quick security check here. Do not bring any bags, avoid anything other than the essentials at all cost. I brought a small wallet, my phone (they keep it for you while you are in your interview), and my packet of documents and I was fine. The lady behind me however was told to find somewhere to store her things as she brought too much, and all she had was a small sized purse. After security, you go downstairs a bit, into an open waiting area. There is a photobooth down here that prints in US sizes, so if you forgot your photos, you can do them there. You're told to go into the elevator, go up (there are only two buttons - up and down - so its not hard to figure out), and wait until your number is called. The waiting area at the top of the elevators are wide, have plenty of chairs, there are bathrooms and snack machines up here as well. We barely got up when my number was called.
I went to window #2, and had the sweetest lady. As I had just gotten up to that floor, none of my documents were in the requested order, but she was very patient with me, and asked for each document individually. I ended up giving her (not in this order): my passport, my passport copy, my medical, longform birth certificate and copy, petitioner letter of intent, original police check, I134, all of w2s I brought (four years), and last years tax returns. Thats it. She asked a few questions to confirm addresses and phone numbers, and took my fingerprints. Then I went to sit back down.
About five minutes after I sat back down, I was called up to window #7. I don't know if this is the same gentleman that everyone has been raving about here, but I loved the guy I had. He was very friendly, and totally understood where I was coming from and how I was feeling. I had to swear an oath, and he gave my birth certificate back. He asked me a few basic questions:
-how did you two meet
-when did you first meet in person
-how do you balance visits with long distance
-how do we handle our relationship when we arent together
-what is my favorite thing about him
-do we have any wedding plans.
It was a pretty simple process. He didn't ask me for any documents, but I suspect this was because we heavily front loaded our I129F with all of our evidence. I know this because both agents I spoke to had copies in front of them, and commented on how organized we were and how much they appreciated how we structured things. Anyways, he asked about our wedding plans and then offered congratulations as we were accepted. He seemed genuinely happy for us, and made a point of thanking my fiance for his service in the military (a fact I never spoke about, but was documented in our packet). He handed me a welcome to America piece of paper and sent us on our way.
All in all, I spent 20 minutes inside the consulate. And thats not an exaggeration. I believe that the timing of our appointment, combined with the efficiency of our document organization, helped us a lot! One of the agents I spoke to did mention that many agents already make 'pending decisions' before you show up. As in "this person is approved as long as XXX documents work out". I would encourage you to do the extra work on the front end, it really helps!
An extra note, I got emails from the consulate this morning saying that my visa has already been shipped out. I should have it in my hands by Tuesday!
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #21436