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| Montreal, Canada |  Review on August 1, 2009: |
to_hope
Rating:  | Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
We stayed at the Best Western Europa Hotel the night before and walked to the consulate, arriving around 7:15am. There was one woman there before us. We made small talk until a guard opened the door at 7:30am. He sent each person (or couple in our case) in at a time, collecting our passports and appointment letters, checking our appointment day, and then handing them back to us.
Once we went inside we were instructed to empty our pockets and put everything we had (including our coats) in a bin which went through an X-ray machine. I did not have a purse, but I did have a plastic accordion file with all my paperwork, which was fine. We went through the metal detector and were scanned with a wand. The guards were very friendly, asking how we were and joking about the cold weather. Then we were given a plastic letter "B" and an instruction sheet which was clipped onto our appointment letter and passports. We were instructed to go down a flight of stairs and have a seat at the bottom (by the elevator).
While we waited for a guard to come bring us into the elevator, we arranged our paperwork: passports, 2 pictures (with name written on back), medical, police check, financial support documents (tax return, employment letter, or the like), and the Xpress Post envelope. We waited about 15 minutes
Next a guard came down and took those of us with a plastic letter (2 singles and 2 couples). He took the clipped packet with the letter, our passports, and appointment letter, and held them while we went upstairs. Once upstairs he had us take a seat in the waiting room and then he the papers and passports he had in hand to the people who processed us. The waiting room is nice and bright with a great view of Montreal! It was spacious and quiet as people spoke in hushed tones- a nice atmosphere to ease my nerves.
After another 15 minute wait, the first lady (who had received the letter "A") was called back to a window. They call your name over an intercom which is loud and clear so you don't have to worry about not hearing it. The windows are located down a little hallway which is marked by a sign that reads "Windows 6-12" with an arrow. The first time we went back I gave 2 photos, my medical results, my updated police check, and my Xpress Post envelope. The man behind the glass was friendly- he asked me to verify a few things and then asked a few questions about what my husband does and what my father-in-law does (our co-sponsor). I expected him to ask for our financial support documents, but he never did.
We went back to the waiting room for another 20 minutes and then we were called back to get my fingerprints. That took about 2 minutes and we were back in the waiting room again. Around 9:10am we were finally called in for the interview! The interview rooms are down the same hallway as the aforementioned windows, but are just before the windows. They are clearly marked with numbers so you can't miss them- I'm terrible at orienting myself in new places and I was fine.
In the interview room a lady swore us in and asked us when we were married, how we met, and a few more questions about what my husband does and what his father does. Then she asked if we had siblings and asked me what my parents do (I think because I told her I live with my parents right now). She looked through what seemed like every single piece of paper in our file, giving us back our original documents (my birth certificate and our marriage license). She asked when I was planning on moving and I laughed and said, "Um well... when I get my visa." I was so unsure how to answer since she hadn't approved me yet. She laughed too and asked how long I was staying in Montreal. My husband and I already decided that we would stay an extra night if we could pick the visa up the next day; I had an idea that she was asking because she might let me pick it up, so I said, "We are staying until tomorrow evening." Then she asked, "Would you like to come pick it up tomorrow afternoon?" I grinned and said, "We'd LOVE to!"
She went on to explain that the visa is a single entry visa, but I can travel with my passport, I just have to be able to show that as a permanent resident I have domicile in the USA and spend most of my time in the USA. She explained that I can use my current SSN (I have one from when I was a student in the USA) and I'd get a green card in a couple months in the mail. Then she congratulated us and off we went!
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #4803