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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #23897

Montreal, Canada Review on May 29, 2018:

LiveFree1255

LiveFree1255


Rating:
Review Topic: K1 Visa

I arrived at the embassy right around 7ish for my interview at 730. Luckily there was a small line up of people already waiting, which is how I knew I was in the right spot. The consulate doesn't have any kind of obvious identifiers aside from a small sign on the door, so keep your eyes peeled if you're the first one there Anyhow, after about a 30 minute-ish wait, they started letting people in one by one. Right behind the first entrance, there was a lady at the podium who asked to see the passport, and the appointment letter (an email printout from when you made the interview appointment, which is also proof of payment), and then gave me a laminated sheet with a number on it, as well as some instructions. Then, behind another door there was a very typical airport like security screening. My advice would be to have as little stuff with you as possible, to make the process quick and painless. I was able to store my phone and headphones at the security desk, and then went down a flight of stairs to another little room, which is where we were given a bit of time to sort all the paperwork and arrange it in a specific order (according to the plastic sheet). 10 ish minutes later, a short elevator ride, and a group of us got up to the floor where the magic happens. There you had a bit more time to sort through the paperwork to make sure everything was in the right order. I had an accordion folder with tabs, but I decided to go ahead and arrange the paperwork in the way that they had suggested. After being called to the first window, however, the lady did not follow the specific order anyway. So another piece of advice here: if your paperwork is arranged in such a way that you know where everything is, and can easily grab it - leave is as is.
Anyway, at this first window a lady asked to confirm my address as well as my fiancees. Another little tip - they asked us also to confirm the phone number of fiancee, so might be worthwhile to make sure you remember it by heart before you go Anyhow, after that she told me to have a seat and wait for my number to be called. After a few minutes of waiting (what felt like forever), they called me to another window in a hallway off to the side, which offered a bit more privacy. The lady there started off by asking me how my fiancee and I met, and then we basically just chatted for a few minutes about the relationship, and his life - where he works and lives. Also questions like where I've travelled to in the last 5 years internationally, have I ever been charged with any crime, what is the highest level of education I possess. She also asked to see some other financial documents (all together just tax stuff from last year, such as IRS transcript, W2, pay stubs; employment letter and bank letter with statements). I think that was mostly it. All together it couldn't have been more than a few minutes, and the lady was very sweet and chatty. It felt like an easy conversation, rather than intense questioning, and she didn't even ask to see any proof of relationship whatsoever. Then she handed me 2 pieces of paper and said the visa was approved! I was done and out of the embassy just before 9 am.
Don't worry if you are going without your fiancee, I felt a bit insecure being there alone at first, but then I realized - having them there is just a bonus. If you are in a legitimate relationship, and you have your ducks in a row in regards to required paperwork, it should be a breeze. Truly the easiest part of the process by far. Hopefully this review will be helpful, as I know the previous ones were very helpful for me when I was getting ready for my interview. Good luck

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