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Montreal Consulate Review

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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Canada
Timeline

Not sure if there is a thread for Montreal Consulate reviews... just wondering if people want to add their reviews on here so its easier to find.

Just got back from my trip to Montreal and figured I better post my review before I start to forget the details.

I had emailed them a few months ago to see if I could be scheduled sooner for the interview and they emailed me back asking if I could come in on the 8th. Since I already had everything ready I said yes and just took along the email with me. For those who don’t have an interview letter, don’t worry just take along the email they send you. They just check off your name with a list they have at security.

I stayed at the Omni Mont Royal Hotel on Sherbrooke. Very nice (nice with a capital N) hotel and would definitely recommend. Cost me $146 and a nice view of the city. Parlor suite I believe had one of those sofa beds but was plenty comfortable. I would rate the hotel as a 5 Star and it is less than a 5 minute drive from the consulate.

I woke up at 5.30 am. (well I could not really sleep so I should really say I was up till 5.30 am) Left the hotel at 6.20 since I was not sure about the roads and traffic. Took me about 5 minutes to get to the consulate. There is parking right in front of the building but you cannot put in money into the machine until 9am. There was no one at the consulate when I arrived and I was dying for some caffeine. Went down to Subway that I could see but it was closed. So I decided to look for a Timmys. There is one on Blvd Rene Levesque just walk towards Rene Levesque from St Alexandre and hang a right, its about a block or so from St Alexandre. I sat there and had 2 cups of coffee and took a 3rd and walked back to the consulate. Rejean and another woman were already waiting by this time and by the time I walked to the car to pick up my envelope and Xray, Sapa and another couple with a baby showed up so I was now 5th :( so I was pretty upset for going to Timmys but It all worked out since I was the second person to have my interview that day.

They started letting people through at around quarter to eight Security like you wouldn’t believe worse than at the airport. But all the guards were really pleasant and never rude. I got a card with a letter and a number on it and was told to go have a seat down the stairs. About 5 minutes later we were all taken to the elevator and I pushed my way to the back knowing from VJ that the back doors open. Up to the 19th floor we went and I was first off the elevator went down the hallway passed the vending machines and gave my appointment letter with the number and was told to go to the waiting room and wait to be called. About 20 minutes later they called, said to pay the US 100 at the cashier and come back to the counter and then was asked for all my original documents along with the copies and took my prints. Was told to go back to the waiting room. This was at about 8.40 and by then I was joined upstairs by Rejean and Sapa. The first person got called in to room 7 for her interview at 9.10 and she was done by 9.16 she was approved and you could see she had tears of joy in her eyes trying to hold back her emotions. Rejean and I both noticed how she was getting impatient with the elevator and couldn’t wait to get out of the building haha :)

I was called next at around 9.30 to the same room 7. As mentioned so many times it’s a little room with a bullet proof glass window and the interviewer wished me and asked me how I was doing and I replied and asked him the same. Was told that I needed to be printed first and then was asked to swear an oath to tell the truth. His questions were very straight forward and put more in the form of a conversation as opposed to interrogation style which I have become so used to encountering at the border.

1) How did you two meet?

2) A few questions about my wife’s family

3) Whether there was any cultural differences, religious differences between the two of us,

4) Questions about when we met last and what we did.

5) What my wife did for a living.

Then he said everything here is in order and I am happy to inform you that you are approved for a K3 visa.

At this time someone walked into the room and was lost and started talking in French. The CO replied in French (very fluently I must add) that he didn’t know but to go outside to one of the counters and ask over there. After he left he repeated what he said earlier and congratulated me and gave me information sheets on SSA and how to go about applying for a Social Security Number.

I was out of the room by 9.40 and gave the thumbs up to Rejean and Sapa and headed out to call my wife to tell her the good news.

For those going for their interview next, and I know this has been said many times before “Don’t stress it” It really is the easiest part of the whole process if you have all your documents together. They did not even ask for the supporting documents like Credit Card Statements, Phone Records, Airline Boarding passes and hotel receipts and pictures I bought along. But its always better to come prepared.

The hardest part was getting my prints to scan properly on the scanner.

Good luck to everyone who are waiting for their interview dates and to those who already have their dates and are going next to Montreal :)

AOS

Filled : 2007-09-17

NOA : 2007-09-25

Biometrics : 2007-12-13

EAD card prod : 2007-12-13

Job Offer : 2007-12-18

EAD card prod : 2007-12-18

EAD approved mailed : 2007-12-21

EAD in Hand : 2007-12-24 (Awesome Christmas Present)

Applied for SSN : 2007-12-26

SSN arrives in mail : 2008-01-05 (Happy New Year)

Start work :2008-01-15

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Great review Lance, I especially enjoyed the 5:30 a.m. comment (not getting up, never getting to bed!). haha

Congratulations on your approval. I'm sure you can't wait to move.

All the best wishes for the rest of your journey!

Carla (F)

carlahmsb4.gif
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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Canada
Timeline

awesome review and I am glad it went so well....of course the three cups of coffee must have helped ;) haha

"...My hair's mostly wind,

My eyes filled with grit

My skin's white then brown

My lips chapped and split

I've lain on the prairie and heard grasses sigh

I've stared at the vast open bowl of the sky

I've seen all the castles and faces in clouds

My home is the prairie and for that I am proud…

If You're not from the Prairie, you can't know my soul

You don't know our blizzards; you've not fought our cold

You can't know my mind, nor ever my heart

Unless deep within you there's somehow a part…

A part of these things that I've said that I know,

The wind, sky and earth, the storms and the snow.

Best say that you have - and then we'll be one,

For we will have shared that same blazing sun." - David Bouchard

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Filed: AOS (apr) Country: Canada
Timeline

Thanks Lance!

Copied the directions to Tim Horton's :yes:

2006/11/29 : I-129F Sent

2006/12/12: I-129F NOA1 (Receipt)

2007/02/22: I-129F NOA2 (Approved)

2007/03/06: Package Left From NVC

2007/03/21: Rec Instructions (Pkt 3)

2007/03/27: Pkt 3 sent to Montreal Consulate

2007/03/28: Pkt 3 rec. @ Montreal Consulate

2007/04/12: Entered into system

2007/04/19: Medical

2007/07/25: Phone call, interview Aug/Sept. Email, at least 6 months for interview

2007/08/01: Phone call, 5-7 months

2007/08/08: Phone call. INTERVIEW

2007/08/16: Interview letter arrives.

2007/09/03: My baby girl leaves for Trent University

2007/09/12: Interview@8:15 APPROVED

2007/09/19: Visa received in hand

2007/10/08: POE Sarnia/Port Huron

2007/10/09: Home

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Filed: Citizen (pnd) Country: Canada
Timeline

Thanks for the great review. Congrats and enjoy your time with your wife :)

A

I-130:

05/26/07: Mailed USPS; 05/31/07: Priority Date established
09/13/07: Received NOA1 (PD 5/31, RD 5/31, ND 9/10, PM 9/11)
11/15/07: Case Approved
11/20/07: Received NOA2 by mail (PD 5/31, RD 6/9, ND 11/15, PM 11/19)

I-129F:
06/27/07: Mailed USPS; 07/09/07: Received NOA1 (PD N/A, RD 7/2, ND 7/6, PM 7/6)
11/20/07: Received NOA2 by mail (PD N/A, RD 7/6, ND 11/15, PM 11/19)
12/10/07: NVC Received case (12/24/07: Received Packet 3 in the mail)
01/02/08: Email from consulate. Interview scheduled on 01/23. Interview letter in the mail.
01/23/08: Interview in Vancouver Approved
01/24/08: K-3 Visa granted

I-485/I-765 (AOS/EAD):
02/22/08: Mailed USPS; 03/03/08: Received both I-797C NOAs by mail (RD 2/24, ND 2/29, PM 2/29)
03/19/08: Biometrics
05/07/08: EAD card received
07/28/08: Interview Notice Received. (ND 7/23)
09/29/08: Interview - Approved Class CR6

10/18/08: Received welcome letter; 10/23/08: Received Conditional Permanent Resident Card (PM 10/21)

I-751 (Remove Condition)

07/01/10: Mailed USPS
07/16/10: Received I-797C NOA by mail (RD 7/12)
07/29/10: Biometrics Appt Scheduled for 08/19/10 (ND 7/26)

09/16/10: Condition lifted and Permanent Resident Card Printed

09/25/10: Permanent Resident Card received

N-400 (Citizenship):
03/03/14: Mailed USPS
03/15/14: Received I-797C NOA by mail (PD 3/6, RD 3/06, ND 3/10)
03/17/14: Biometrics Appt Scheduled for 03/27/14 (ND 3/13)

04/03/14: Placed inline for interview scheduling

06/04/14: Interview Notice Received with Interview scheduled for 7/8. (ND 6/4)

07/08/14: Interview + RFE. Response Mailed 7/12. Website updated on 8/21 that response received. 8/25 Placed in queue for oath.

09/05/14: Oath Ceremony Letter Received (ND 9/2)

09/17/14: Oath Ceremony / Naturalized

PD = Priority Date, RD= Receipt Date, ND = Notice Date, PM = Post Marked

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Filed: Timeline

Congrats, Lance!

Thanks for a great review, and the directions to Timmies! :) It's so hard not to be nervous, but we'll try not to stress about it!

All the best to you and yours!

IR1 CSC

10/30/06- NOA 1

3/13/07- Approved! :)

3/26/07- received MTL case #

4/23/07- Choice of Agent and AOS Bill generated

4/24/07- Emailed Choice of Agent and Mailed out AOS Bill

4/26/07- NVC confirms Choice of Agent

4/30/07- NVC mails out the IV Bill

5/07/07- Received IV Bill

5/09/07- Mailed out IV Bill & I-864 Package

5/14/07- NVC said they are reviewing the I-864 Package

5/15/07- Mailed out I-864 CoSponsor Package

5/16/07- NVC received IV Bill

5/21/07- NVC generates DS-230, mailed out DS-230

6/01/07- NVC completes case!

8/30/07-- Interview date! Approved

I-129F transfered to CSC

12/26/06- NOA 1

1/17/07- touch

4/25/07- touch

4/26/07- touch

5/3/07- Approved! :)

5/14/07- NVC confirms receiving K-3 Application

5/16/07- NVC mails K-3 Application to Montreal Embassy

6/12/07- Was put on MTL waiting list

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Filed: AOS (apr) Country: Canada
Timeline
Not sure if there is a thread for Montreal Consulate reviews... just wondering if people want to add their reviews on here so its easier to find.

Just got back from my trip to Montreal and figured I better post my review before I start to forget the details.

I had emailed them a few months ago to see if I could be scheduled sooner for the interview and they emailed me back asking if I could come in on the 8th. Since I already had everything ready I said yes and just took along the email with me. For those who don’t have an interview letter, don’t worry just take along the email they send you. They just check off your name with a list they have at security.

I stayed at the Omni Mont Royal Hotel on Sherbrooke. Very nice (nice with a capital N) hotel and would definitely recommend. Cost me $146 and a nice view of the city. Parlor suite I believe had one of those sofa beds but was plenty comfortable. I would rate the hotel as a 5 Star and it is less than a 5 minute drive from the consulate.

I woke up at 5.30 am. (well I could not really sleep so I should really say I was up till 5.30 am) Left the hotel at 6.20 since I was not sure about the roads and traffic. Took me about 5 minutes to get to the consulate. There is parking right in front of the building but you cannot put in money into the machine until 9am. There was no one at the consulate when I arrived and I was dying for some caffeine. Went down to Subway that I could see but it was closed. So I decided to look for a Timmys. There is one on Blvd Rene Levesque just walk towards Rene Levesque from St Alexandre and hang a right, its about a block or so from St Alexandre. I sat there and had 2 cups of coffee and took a 3rd and walked back to the consulate. Rejean and another woman were already waiting by this time and by the time I walked to the car to pick up my envelope and Xray, Sapa and another couple with a baby showed up so I was now 5th :( so I was pretty upset for going to Timmys but It all worked out since I was the second person to have my interview that day.

They started letting people through at around quarter to eight Security like you wouldn’t believe worse than at the airport. But all the guards were really pleasant and never rude. I got a card with a letter and a number on it and was told to go have a seat down the stairs. About 5 minutes later we were all taken to the elevator and I pushed my way to the back knowing from VJ that the back doors open. Up to the 19th floor we went and I was first off the elevator went down the hallway passed the vending machines and gave my appointment letter with the number and was told to go to the waiting room and wait to be called. About 20 minutes later they called, said to pay the US 100 at the cashier and come back to the counter and then was asked for all my original documents along with the copies and took my prints. Was told to go back to the waiting room. This was at about 8.40 and by then I was joined upstairs by Rejean and Sapa. The first person got called in to room 7 for her interview at 9.10 and she was done by 9.16 she was approved and you could see she had tears of joy in her eyes trying to hold back her emotions. Rejean and I both noticed how she was getting impatient with the elevator and couldn’t wait to get out of the building haha :)

I was called next at around 9.30 to the same room 7. As mentioned so many times it’s a little room with a bullet proof glass window and the interviewer wished me and asked me how I was doing and I replied and asked him the same. Was told that I needed to be printed first and then was asked to swear an oath to tell the truth. His questions were very straight forward and put more in the form of a conversation as opposed to interrogation style which I have become so used to encountering at the border.

1) How did you two meet?

2) A few questions about my wife’s family

3) Whether there was any cultural differences, religious differences between the two of us,

4) Questions about when we met last and what we did.

5) What my wife did for a living.

Then he said everything here is in order and I am happy to inform you that you are approved for a K3 visa.

At this time someone walked into the room and was lost and started talking in French. The CO replied in French (very fluently I must add) that he didn’t know but to go outside to one of the counters and ask over there. After he left he repeated what he said earlier and congratulated me and gave me information sheets on SSA and how to go about applying for a Social Security Number.

I was out of the room by 9.40 and gave the thumbs up to Rejean and Sapa and headed out to call my wife to tell her the good news.

For those going for their interview next, and I know this has been said many times before “Don’t stress it” It really is the easiest part of the whole process if you have all your documents together. They did not even ask for the supporting documents like Credit Card Statements, Phone Records, Airline Boarding passes and hotel receipts and pictures I bought along. But its always better to come prepared.

The hardest part was getting my prints to scan properly on the scanner.

Good luck to everyone who are waiting for their interview dates and to those who already have their dates and are going next to Montreal :)

Congrats on the interview!!!

Gotta question for ya though! How on earth do you find the consulate in city as big as Montreal? I think finding the place is scarest thing for me. Comin in From London way are there lots of signs to get us where we need to go? :unsure:

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Filed: AOS (apr) Country: Canada
Timeline

Great review! Don't forget to submit it here too: http://www.visajourney.com/consulates/dos_review.php :)

K3 Timeline - 2006-11-20 to 2007-03-19

See the comments section in my timeline for full details of my K3 dates, transfers and touches. Also see my Vancouver consulate review and my POE review.

AOS & EAD Timeline

2007-04-16: I-485 and I-765 sent to Chicago (My AOS/EAD checklist)

2007-04-17: Received at Chicago

2007-04-23: NOA1 date (both)

2007-05-10: Biometrics appointment (both - Biometrics review)

2007-06-05: AOS interview letter date

2007-06-13: AOS interview letter received in mail

2007-07-03: EAD card production ordered

2007-07-07: EAD card received! (yay!)

2007-08-23: AOS interview (Documents / Interview review)

2007-08-23: Green card production ordered!!!

2007-08-24: Welcome notice mailed!

2007-08-27: Green card production ordered again... ?

2007-08-28: Welcome notice received!

2007-09-01: Green card received!

Done with USCIS until May 23, 2009!

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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Canada
Timeline

Thanks for providing the link, Misa.

Yes.. a fantastic review and I really hope the OP puts it in the right place.

Mo

http://static-forums.visajourney.com/public/style_emoticons/default/timeline.gif

Full timeline can be seen in my profile

 

CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS - I-130 petition for married sibling
2016

Jul 5 - Receipt date for I-130 petition for my over 21 brother and his wife (both in the UK)

2024

Feb 23 - Sent USCIS a message asking for a processing update

May 6 - Received an email response saying things were progressing normally but that waiting times might be longer

 

*********************************************
THE OG STORY - From K-1 to Citizenship (a love story)
K-1: Aug 12, 2006 to Jan 17, 2007 - mailed I-129F
AOS: Feb 26, 2007 - Jul 26, 2007
REMOVING CONDITIONS: May 4, 2009 - Oct 3, 2009
CITIZENSHIP: Nov 27, 2012 - May 9, 2013

Note: I immigrated from Canada, not T&T - the timeline is reflective of this.


THE SAGA CONTINUES - IR-5 Story
I-130 for Parents - 2013
Aug ?? - mailed I-130 packages for both mother and father
Sept 10 - NOA1 date
Sept 16 - NOA1s received

2014

Feb 25, 26 & 28 - got emails saying that the cases had been transferred to another office, then to my local office, and then just transferred and are being processed

Mar 17 - got email, attached to one case number only, saying that my A number was changed relating to the I-130 filing

Mar 18 - got emails saying that the petitions are approved http://static-forums.visajourney.com/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.png

2020

Mar 20 - N-400 receipt date for my father
2021

Apr 21 - Biometrics appt.

2022
May 2 - Interview

May 20 - Naturalization ceremony
 



Visit my website Dancing Light Stained Glass Studio to view my work.

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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Canada
Timeline
Congrats on the interview!!!

Gotta question for ya though! How on earth do you find the consulate in city as big as Montreal? I think finding the place is scarest thing for me. Comin in From London way are there lots of signs to get us where we need to go? :unsure:

It was fairly easy to navigate Montreal. Print off the city grid from Yahoo maps Canada. They give you the names of the streets and even the direction of traffic since like most cities, downtown roads are usually one way streets.

Great review! Don't forget to submit it here too: http://www.visajourney.com/consulates/dos_review.php :)

I did try.. it kept returning this page to me with

>> You must be registered to post a review! Please register first! <<

Registered with what? Do I have to register again to post a review?

AOS

Filled : 2007-09-17

NOA : 2007-09-25

Biometrics : 2007-12-13

EAD card prod : 2007-12-13

Job Offer : 2007-12-18

EAD card prod : 2007-12-18

EAD approved mailed : 2007-12-21

EAD in Hand : 2007-12-24 (Awesome Christmas Present)

Applied for SSN : 2007-12-26

SSN arrives in mail : 2008-01-05 (Happy New Year)

Start work :2008-01-15

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