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| Montreal, Canada |  Review on July 9, 2012: |
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
My fiancee's interview was June 28th. We arrived the night before via rail from London Ontario and tried to get a good nights rest.
We arrived to the consulate around 0650 and we were seventh in line. Everyone in line was real friendly and we quickly made friends with the couple behind us in line. At 0730 the security guards opened the door. As you enter the door a security guard will ask to see your "Appointment Letter" which is which is the packet 4 email. Make sure you print out all the pages because the last page has the case number which they look at. Once you pass the first guard there is a consulate worker just inside the door who checks to see if you registered for the loomis courier service. We just used the appointment confirmation email which has the 'reference number' on it which is what they are looking for. We saw two people turned away because they did not have this. Next you have to pass through a standard metal detector which was nothing. Just make sure to not have any briefcases, large purses, electronics (cell phone, electronic keys for car, ipod, etc).
Once past the metal detector you will pass through some doors to the left and go downstairs to some seats. Find a seat next to the elevator door if you can. We waited about 20 minutes there and a security guard led us into the elevator. Make sure you go to the backside of the elevator as the doors on that side will open when you reach the consulate on the 19th floor.
Once inside we again showed our Appointment Letter to a lady and we handed ticket c7. We then sat down in a large waiting area with a great view of the city. We waited about 20 minutes and then were called up to window 3. A friendly gentleman there asked for the following items:
Passport, Original Birth Certificate, Police Certificate, Sealed Medical Exam Envelope, Letter of Intent, 2 Passport Photos, and also the receipt when I payed for the visa online.
This process took a while because somehow the payment was lost in the system. After about 20 minutes he found it so he proceeded to ask for the remainder of the documents listed above. He also went through some of the forms we previously submitted per packet 3 and asked my fiancee a few basic questions about the info on the forms. (where will you be living in USA?, etc.) This took about 40 minutes for us but seemed to average 15 or 20 minutes for most people.
We were than asked to sit down and wait to be called again. We learned that windows 1 through 6 were for processing your documents as above and 7 through 12 are for the interview itself. Anyways I was pretty relaxed now that the paperwork was in order and wasn't too worried about the interview. We had been dating for almost 7 years and brought all our proof of our wedding plans. After waiting about 20 minutes we were called out to window 9.
We were greeted by a smiling and friendly and young African American lady. She first asked who I was in which I answered her Fiance. I was not required to be there (K1 visa) and I know in some consulates not even allowed to go but Montreal is an exception. She next asked my Fiancee "When and how did you first meet" followed by asking about our wedding plans. The whole time she was constantly typing into a computer. I was then surprised to have her ask me when we got engaged. I fumbled for a sec but said the date. She then asked us why my fiancee didn't have a police certificate from England where she was born in which I quickly answered she moved to Canada when she was 10.(Police Certificates are only required after age 15 I believe). She continued typing into the computer for a few minutes and asked me "How long have you been dating when you proposed" which I quickly answered. She was just double checking real quick with the question I fumbled on before I assume. After a few more minutes of typing she congratulated us on our upcoming wedding and said she was approving the visa. We could hardly contain ourselves as this was such a relief. She handed my fiancee a 'Welcome to America' letter and that was it. It was around 0930 when we left.
The Visa arrived at the DHL pickup place (London Ontario) 6 days after the interview with Canada Day holiday included. We opened it up and it contained her passport, original birth certificate, and a sealed envelope to be opened by CBP when you enter the U.S.
Thanks to all the VJ members who have contributed to this site. We would have been lost without you.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #9961