IR-1 Inteview in Montreal

[EmilyRugBurn 0]

Howdy, VJ'ers -- it's been a while since I've poked my head in here. Life has taken... some bizarre and stressful turns and this impending interview was *so* completely off my radar that my interview letter has totally caught me off guard, and now I have only 4 weeks to prepare (and it's the holiday season). Ugh!

Anyhow -- Here's my situation; I currently reside in the US (upstate NY) with my husband. I’m here on a K3 (since June).

It appears as though I require another medical (had one done in Toronto for the K3). The immunizations that I see listed on these instructions are different (for eg. I do not have Hep B or influenza immunization, as those were not required for the K3).

Q1: Does anyone know how I can find a licensed immigration physician who can perform my medical closest to where I am located (upstate NY)?

Q1(a): I will be in Toronto/Canada over the New Year. Perhaps I should get all my missing immunizations done here (in NY) and have another medical done in Toronto while I’m there over the holidays?... Is that a good plan? Anyone have any advice?...

Q2: I see nowhere in this letter about bringing an xpresspost envelope (or equivalent) with me… will they be confiscating my passport? (i.e. do I need to bring an envelope)? Or will they just send me the greencard in the mail?...

Ack, I’m so out of the loop. Life has kicked my butt a bit since I got here and I am so far removed from this process.

Any advice you’re able to give would be MUCH appreciated.

Thanks Again, VJ-ers,

~ Em

[thermophile 0]

they will keep your passport so bring the envelope. Your K3 is a 1 entry visa correct? maybe I have that wrong-but I thought that k visa holders had to have AP. Since you're not AOSing, I think your process from ir1 interview on will be the same as the rest of us who didn't do the k route. You'll get the visa in your passport. When you cross the border to activate the visa, they'll send the magic papers in the brown envelope to the DOS, and then your GC will be generated.

[EmilyRugBurn 0]

they will keep your passport so bring the envelope. Your K3 is a 1 entry visa correct? maybe I have that wrong-but I thought that k visa holders had to have AP.

But I will need my passport (with K3 visa) in order to return to the US - where I live now... I was planning to return on the same day as my interview... How they can keep it if I need it to cross the border?....

K3 is multiple entry, so no AP required.

[Flames9_RN 358]

I recall another VJ'er going through a similar hassle (k3 going back fro cr-1) and they contacted Mtl and Mtl issued them the visa the same day or next day!! Email them and they might get back to u,lol

[EmilyRugBurn 0]

I recall another VJ'er going through a similar hassle (k3 going back fro cr-1) and they contacted Mtl and Mtl issued them the visa the same day or next day!! Email them and they might get back to u,lol

Thanks, flames9!! Will do!!

[Flames9_RN 358]

If the gov't made sense, since the interview for most of us canaucks is like 2 minutes long, one could just mail them the passport for them to put inthe CR-1 stamp and mail it back to ya, saving u $$$$$ in airfare. Best of luck

[EmilyRugBurn 0]

If the gov't made sense, since the interview for most of us canaucks is like 2 minutes long, one could just mail them the passport for them to put inthe CR-1 stamp and mail it back to ya, saving u $$$$$ in airfare. Best of luck

I was wondering if they would do this (ie. I go to interview, return to the US, mail them my passport, they mail it back with visa)... I'm sure that's probably what is going to have to happen if they cannot issue it same-day.

No worries on the airfare - we're only a 5 hour drive to Montreal from where we are in NYS. (And we may even take the train.)

But having to have 2 medicals at the same place and 2 interviews at the same place for the same reason in a one-year period is *beyond* ridiculous.

[S & J 0]

http://www.panelphysicians.com/Pages/Age6.htm

Here is the link for who needs the immunizations - I don't know how old you are, but you will see those two you mention are not required for people between 20 and 49 yrs old.

As well, when I was reading over the interview prep letter I was positive it said they will not mail the visa to a US address.

Good luck with your interview!

[EmilyRugBurn 0]

I don't know how old you are, but you will see those two you mention are not required for people between 20 and 49 yrs old.

As well, when I was reading over the interview prep letter I was positive it said they will not mail the visa to a US address.

Good luck with your interview!

Thanks SO MUCH for this info S & J - I am indeed between the ages of 20 and 49. I will call panel physicians on Monday to determine if I require any of these new immunizations I'm seeing on the list that came with my interview letter. Some of them I know I have, but some I know I don't and some I haven't even heard of (like varicella, perussis, pneumococcal?...). If I don't require any of these new ones, perhaps I can ask them to provide me with another copy of all the paperwork they gave me for my K3. I think I read somewhere, way back when, that they can do this for a fee... if so, that'd be perfect.

Worse case scenario they can send my passport to my parents' house (in Canada) and I can have them forward it to me here in the US. Seems ridiculous that the US consulate can't send mail to the US. I have a FedEx account here -- I wonder, if I were to provide them will a pre-addressed envelope/waybill if they would just slip it in there and send it to me that way.... Anyway, I'd better send an e-mail to figure this out.

Thanks again!! And have I mentioned how much I *love* these VJ-ers! You guys/gals are the best!!

[trailmix 77]

Q2: I see nowhere in this letter about bringing an xpresspost envelope (or equivalent) with me… will they be confiscating my passport? (i.e. do I need to bring an envelope)? Or will they just send me the greencard in the mail?...

Hi Emily,

Congrats on your IR1 interview. Would you mind having a look at this Montreal interview letter, posted at the dept. of state (which does mention the expresspost envelope) to see how different it is from the one you received? I'm wondering if the online version is outdated.

Thanks!

Edited December 15, 2007 by trailmix

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

Howdy, VJ'ers -- it's been a while since I've poked my head in here. Life has taken... some bizarre and stressful turns and this impending interview was *so* completely off my radar that my interview letter has totally caught me off guard, and now I have only 4 weeks to prepare (and it's the holiday season). Ugh!

Anyhow -- Here's my situation; I currently reside in the US (upstate NY) with my husband. I'm here on a K3 (since June).

It appears as though I require another medical (had one done in Toronto for the K3). The immunizations that I see listed on these instructions are different (for eg. I do not have Hep B or influenza immunization, as those were not required for the K3).

Q1: Does anyone know how I can find a licensed immigration physician who can perform my medical closest to where I am located (upstate NY)?

Q1(a): I will be in Toronto/Canada over the New Year. Perhaps I should get all my missing immunizations done here (in NY) and have another medical done in Toronto while I'm there over the holidays?... Is that a good plan? Anyone have any advice?...

Q2: I see nowhere in this letter about bringing an xpresspost envelope (or equivalent) with me… will they be confiscating my passport? (i.e. do I need to bring an envelope)? Or will they just send me the greencard in the mail?...

Ack, I'm so out of the loop. Life has kicked my butt a bit since I got here and I am so far removed from this process.

Any advice you're able to give would be MUCH appreciated.

Thanks Again, VJ-ers,

~ Em

Congrats!!! Confiscated? That's one way to look at it.

If you're going through Montreal, then you need to get your medical done in Canada and S & J has given you the link to Dr. Seiden's website. Immunizations come from the CDC recommendations so if you go to their website, they have everything you would need to know about immunization.

Trailmix, that looks the same as the one I received for my parents but please note the size in mm is wrong (it's not like anyone in the US government ever heard of the metric system ). 314 mm is not 12 inches. (*looks around and hopes that Len won't make some off-colour comment about how women already know what is not 12 inches* )

[thermophile 0]

If the consulate won't issue your visa that day, it's not the end of the world. you don't have to have a passport to get back into the US if you are driving, bc and drivers license is good till sometime in the summer. but you may want to make copies of the face sheet of your passport and of your K3 visa, just incase you get pulled into secondary and they want to see proof of your status.

varicella=chicken pox

perussis did you mean pertussis=whooping cough part of the DPT

pneumococcal-I didn't know that there was a common vaccine for pneumococci, they can cause meningitis but that's not required for immigration

[EmilyRugBurn 0]

Q2: I see nowhere in this letter about bringing an xpresspost envelope (or equivalent) with me… will they be confiscating my passport? (i.e. do I need to bring an envelope)? Or will they just send me the greencard in the mail?...

Hi Emily,

Congrats on your IR1 interview. Would you mind having a look at this Montreal interview letter, posted at the dept. of state (which does mention the expresspost envelope) to see how different it is from the one you received? I'm wondering if the online version is outdated.

Thanks!

These pages were not included in the package I received, however they did provide this url address on the cover page, which leads me to the info about the envelope, etc...

[EmilyRugBurn 0]

If you're going through Montreal, then you need to get your medical done in Canada and S & J has given you the link to Dr. Seiden's website. Immunizations come from the CDC recommendations so if you go to their website, they have everything you would need to know about immunization.

Yes, thanks, I figured as much. I'm familiar with Dr. Seiden as I had my K3 medical done at the Toronto office.

The link, although helpful, does not mention some of the other immunizations that are listed on the letter I received. I have e-mailed Dr. Seiden's office to find out which are required of me (based on my age) and if I am missing any, since they have my records from the K3 medical.

[CutienPurg 0]

Hey Em!!!!

Hub had his Cr-1 interview on the 6th. He also is living in the U.S. on a K-3.

Anywho , i emailed the consulate to inquire as to whether they could issue the gc the next day and they replied with " no guarantees". So of course we didnt make arrangements to stay over .....low and behold the interviewer said we could pick up the visa the next day UGH!!We opted for option B ...delivey to an address in Canada , which is the only place they'll mail it.It was mailed this past Monday, the 10th, to MIL's in Barrie and arrived on Wednesday. You're going to need to have the IR-1 activated/processed at a POE I would think.....dunno how you'll accomplish that if you have it mailed to you in the states.

Since you're driving back across the border like we did , then you can ask the lady who collects the paperwork at the consulate to give you a copy of your appointment letter with a note saying your passport/gc will be mailed. Also I spoke with an agent at the border(before going) and he suggested making a photocopy of the K-3 and having the birth certificate ready as well as hub's Michigan drivers license. When we crossed the agent didnt seem to have any issues with what we offered him , including our explanation.

Also , he didnt require a 2nd medical since his was done in the past year. Cant imagine how it'll work if you needed additional immunizations......again I emailed to confirm that a 2nd medical wasn't required. You may be pleasantly surprised if they say just an updated immunization record will be ok.

I have to say the people from security to the interviewer were awesome. Very easy to deal with and quite flexible.

All the best to you and good good luck come interview time!!!!!

Andrea