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| Montreal, Canada |  Review on May 4, 2010: |
lilacvioletiris
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
We arrived at the Montreal consulate at 6:30 a.m. We parked in the Safeway parking lot on the right hand side of the street just before the consulate and it cost $15 for the day. There was one couple with a little boy ahead of us. No one else arrived until 7 a.m. First a mom with 2 kids and then another married couple (I am assuming CR-1 since he said he was from Texas and she was from Toronto with a Philipino passport). The doors opened at 7:35 a.m. There was a glass company there to replace the doors actually so I think that is why security opened the doors so early. We got letter B as we went through security. Rom had some metal something that they needed to "wand" him for. We actually went down the stairs first to the waiting area for the elevator. The "A" couple came, then the married couple, and then another couple I didn't see outside when they let us in at 7:35 a.m. The security guard gave us a brown laminated sheet with instructions about what would happen today. We waited until 7:45 a.m. then the security guard that I will call "Gaston" called letters A to D. We got on the elevator. Ron and I were the only ones facing the back of the elevator. We learned that the husband from Texas and the Philipino wife from Toronto had been waiting 2 years for their interview.
We sat down in the "U.S. citizens" waiting area facing window 5 and waited until about 8 a.m. when Ron was called first to window 11. The woman behind the glass told me to go pay the Machine Readable Visa fee at window 14 before the crowd comes. Just as I rounded the corner about 20 peple got off the elevator and turned to window 14. IMPORTANT NOTE: I shouldn't have waited in line with these people, instead I should have stood on the outside of the barrier and waited to be called to window 14. The teller chastised me for waiting in line because "I was holding up the interview process". I hadn't seen anything that would have told me to do that so just a heads up.
Back at window 11, Ron was asked for his birth certificate and copy, his passport and copy, 1 original affidavit of support with list of my deposits to my bank account and the letter from my employer (they didn't want my IRS transcripts or my mortgage information), and the intent to marry letter that I wrote (they didn't want the intent to marry letter that Ron wrote). They never asked for the updates of travels for the DS-230 Part One or the DS-156 (but we had those typed up and ready too). They also didn't take any domicile information or any of the evidence of ongoing relationship although we had color pictures with us.
Ron went back to sit down while I was still in line to pay for his MRV fee. I paid the bill and went to sit with him at 8:16 a.m. We then sat and waited until 8:40 a.m. when they called Ron back to window 11 to take his finger prints. Then we went back to sit. The fourth couple who came up on the elevator "Alea Ahmed" was called to room 7 for her interview (do they call by alphabetical order? maybe since my fiance with a last name beginning with B was called next). She left a few minutes later with her companion (I assume fiance' since they seemed to be carrying similar documents in a fed ex box like us but we never talked with them). They left smiling! Then we were called to room 7 at 9:10 a.m. Ron had to put his index finger on the red square then he and I swore to tell the truth - our first set of "I do's"!
The woman asked Ron how we met, if we were still friends with the woman who introduced us, when he proposed (the woman was surprised he remembered the exact date and she was writing them down on a sheet of paper in his folder), then he was asked where he lived, the I was asked where I live, then we were asked how far apart we live, and Ron said 450 miles and I said 9 hours. She then asked us how often we see each other. She asked when I got to Montreal and how I was enjoying my visit. She then asked where I work and what I do. Then she asked me if I had health insurance. Then she turned to Ron and said as she closed her folder, "Based on the information you have provided, I am able to approve your visa." She slid a sheet of instructions under the window and explained that the K-1 visa is a one entry visa.
Ron and I turned to each other and kissed each other in JOY! We picked up our things, walked out to the waiting room, waved at the 2 couples who were still there (both married, one didn't have their xpresspost envelope and they were unsure what would happen since the visa assistant had said they couldn't leave to go get one). We headed down the elevator, put all our stuff together in the fedex box the medical exam had come in because it was raining very hard outside, and we hugged each other and cried a little.
We went out the security doors and there was an older woman that security kept telling to go back outside. There is a sign about standing in the doorway until you are called by security. It was raining very hard and the glass company was still replacing the doors to the consulate.
We were back in our car by 9:22 a.m. It was an awesome experience. I will post our post-interview visits to an audio store and restaurant later. I am so thankful that we are approved. Montreal made my dreams come true. Now to wait for the visa package to come via Canada Post.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #6014