Consulate Review: Montreal, Canada
Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
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| Event |
Description |
| Review Date : |
July 9, 2014 |
| Embassy Review : |
I stayed for two nights at the Courtyard by Mariott Downtown at the intersection of Bleury and Rene-Levesque. The 747 Airport bus drops you off immediately in front of the hotel – just make sure you get off at the closest Bleury stop as the hotel isn’t listed on the transit map. It was literally 1 block away from the consulate – it was no more than a three minute walk, if you hit a red light. I believe I paid about $186 USD from hotels.com. If you walk past the consulate, you’ll come across a Shoppers Drug Mart, as well as Saint Catherine’s St, so there’s tons of food and shopping options close to the hotel by foot. It was worth the premium given the prime location.
I arrived at the consulate for about 6:35, and was first in line. I was joined probably about ten minutes later by VJ user MattM (congratulations on your approval!), and people began lining up pretty quickly afterward. Several people had large bags, and were seemingly turned away from the door, so definitely make sure you have only the absolute necessities. I only had paperwork in arm and my hotel key.
Definitely make sure you have the Loomis confirmation printed – they will check both that and your passport before you’re even let through security. Security itself was a breeze – much easier than anything you experience at the airport. You put your things in a bin, and step through the metal detector. I set it off due to the buckles on my boots, but I was quickly wanded over once, and then sent on my way downstairs. There are rows of chairs – one row against the wall by the elevator, three rows across from them, and then more along the walls around the room. The room itself is in a squared figure 8.
Just a note: if you want to have any idea what the time is, I’d recommend wearing a watch. There’s no clock until you get to the 19th floor!
Someone came down to let us into the elevator probably at around 8am (again, guessing the time here), and we lined up in the back left corner as per Saylin’s instruction. Be prepared to be stuffed into the elevator like a can of sardines. When we exited, we walked straight ahead to the visa “reception,” in which she checked our passport and Loomis confirmation once more. At this point I was given “application #1,” with instructions written on the sheet to have your passport, 2 passport photos, interview letter, and medical ready. (I was also initially spoken to in French, and gave everyone a laugh including her when I said I didn’t speak French.)
When you face the room from the elevator, the rows of chairs to the left are where immigrant visa applicants sit – the chairs to the right are for non-immigrant visas. Over by the first six windows is a line where it looked like tourist visas applicants were to wait – they seemed to alternate between them and us immigrant applicants. #2 was called up first, but I was only waiting for probably about five minutes before my number was called to window 1. (There is no “1” posted at the window, unlike the others, but it’s definitely there beside window 2.)
The woman was very friendly. She took everything I prepared beforehand, the originals and copies of my birth certificate, marriage certificate, the copy of my passport biographic page, the police report, the original I-864 and supporting tax documents, and then returned the xrays to me. She took my fingerprints, confirmed our addresses, and asked if that was where I was intending on going (presumably for where the green card is to arrive). Then, she instructed me to take a seat once more, and that I would be called by number for the interview itself.
At this point, we got a kick out of the fact there was a banner along the wall advertising their Facebook page, haha. It was sometimes difficult to understand the announcers, and at times they spoke French instead of English, so make sure you’re paying close attention.
I was called to window 7 about fifteen minutes later (approximately 8:40ish). He was very friendly, and we made small talk while he had computer difficulties. While his computer was restarting, I read the oath (though he didn’t have my raise my hand), and he looked over my paperwork, comparing the originals to the copies I submitted, and then returned the original birth certificate and marriage certificate.
The questions were very basic: when and how we met initially, when we first met in person, did we start dating soon afterward, how often were we meeting in person at that time, what my wife does for a living, whether I had ever been arrested and/or had difficulties at the border, and if we lived together when I was studying on my F1 visa. And… that was that! He slid me the infamous “welcome to America” letter (that’s actually just a two-sided photocopy – I was expecting something a little more special), I thanked him, and then I went on my merry way.
I returned to the hotel at 9:05. I definitely recommend lining up early, as I did – it goes by quickly, especially when you’re with a fun, talkative group of people like I was. I certainly was overprepared with documentation, but I do feel better knowing that I had it with me just in the event I was asked.
I checked the CEAC status a few hours afterward, and the visa had already been issued. My passport arrived only a couple of days after – I was back in BC by Tuesday night, and I picked the passport up from Loomis Friday afternoon. It was ready to do so that morning.
It was overall a great experience.  |
| Rating : |
Very Good |
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ver 5.0