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| Montreal, Canada |  Review on July 16, 2018: |
spots
Rating:  | Review Topic: FB-1
My interview experience was similar to what most others had. All the preparation and fellow reviews on visajourney really helped, so here’s mine.
Tips that worked for me – get there early and be prepared for a lot of waiting. I arrived at 8:20 for my 9am appointment. I was out around 10:40. There were many people before me, and only one person conducting interviews, hence the long waits.
I had already arranged my documents into an expanding file folder and didn’t bother rearranging per the ordered list that they provided. Since I had organized the folder meticulously with tabbed/labeled sections and quadruple-checked everything, it was easier for me to pull things out of here.
I was overdressed in a suit-skirt. A lot of people were in jeans and t-shirts. Some women had nice dresses on and there were two men in suits. I took off my jacket partially because it was a hot, summer day in Montreal and stuffy inside the room, and this worked well for me. I would recommend dressing business casual/church attire or at least something clean and pressed. I think looking well-dressed/employable helped me, but no need for a suit.
At the first booth the man behind the counter took my fingerprints. He then went and grabbed my file with all the documents we submitted previously. He took my original police check and birth certificate, but only kept the police check. He asked for the original I864 - I only had a copy. He didn’t take it since there was already a copy in the file. I was then told to go back and sit down and wait for my number to be called for the interview.
The lady in the interview booth was really sweet and friendly. Questions she asked: who is the sponsor - my mom – she softened when I said this. How/when did she go to the US? What does she do now? Did you ever live in the US? Where have you travelled internationally in the last 5 years? She was entering info into the system as I spoke. She checked my file and asked for my sponsor’s latest tax returns. We had submitted assets in the original application, so I gave her updated assets along with the 2017 tax return, but she looked over the tax return and said it was sufficient by itself. That was it. She said welcome to the US, and handed me a paper explaining how I can track my documents. The whole interview lasted less than 5 min, and I walked out with a big smile on my face.
My interview was on Monday, the package with my passport and visa were in the mail Tuesday morning, and I picked it up Wednesday evening.
All the best on your journey.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #24232