Vancouver Interview Review!

[TheATeam 0]

Well, hold on folks, this is going to be a long one!

As you know, we had to do things the backwards way. This meant getting here on Monday night, doing the interview on Tuesday, and then the medical on Wednesday!

So, I flew in to Vancouver on Monday night, while Andrew flew up to Seattle and then drove the rest of the way to meet me. We stayed at the Radisson hotel, which was very nice! You might wonder why I'm telling you about the hotel, but you'll see!

We got up early on Tuesday morning, checked out of the hotel and made our way into Vancouver. We parked near the Consulate and then walked around downtown, looking for a place to go eat. I highly recommend Urban Rush. It's a gourmet grocery store/cafeteria style restaurant. It was some of the best food that we had during our stay. It was a block down from West Pender and Hastings I think. I'm not sure the exact directions, but google it!

Anyhow, we went for our interview, and I realize that I should have left my coat in the car. It was a bit of a hassle to take everything out of the pockets, and carry it all around. You have to go through two security check points so make sure you don't put everything BACK in your pockets! Anyhow, I didn't bring any electronics, or my purse or anything, so that was good! We got up to the interview room, after the second security checkpoint. It's kind of neat, after the first checkpoint you go up a flight of stairs where you tell the officer you're there for your K visa appointment. He pushes the up button on the elevator and when it opens, scans his card so you can access the 20th floor. When you get up there you do a second checkpoint, after which he opens the locked door and lets you into the room. Before he let us into the room though, he called ahead to let them know that we were there.

After waiting a little bit we were called to the first window. While waiting I was really nervous. At the first window, A, she asked for my paperwork in a certain order. We did all of that, and we got to the last piece, the medical. I told her I didn't have it and for a second she looked at me like "WHAT?!", and then asked me what I meant. I produced the email saying that I could have the medical the day AFTER the medical, and she said alright, as long as I knew I'd have to bring the results back the next day. I said that I did and she told me that I'd have my fingerprints taken at window 1 and then I'd have my interview at window 4, and asked us to sit down.

We sat down and started talking. I felt MUCH better at that point. There was another couple doing a K1 visa as well. They were in their late 40's I'd say and were doing everything just a step in front of us. Other than that, there was no one else in there. Anyhow, I did my fingerprints, which were super easy and then sat down again. Just as the other couple were starting their interview, another couple came through the door. The room is pretty small there, and they don't actually have rooms, just windows, so if you talk in a regular voice, even a whisper you can hear everything.

The couple were having their interview, and then the other couple was talking to an officer. We could simultaneously hear both conversations at once. The interview for the one couple was going smoothly. There were a few hitches. The interviewer paused a little when the lady said she was already living in the States with her niece. She also had trouble when the interviewer asked if she'd ever had trouble crossing the border and she said no. They obviously had had trouble cause the interviewer could see whatever the border crossing agent had written about it. It took a few minutes but the couple eventually elaborated. Obviously it wasn't a huge issue as they were approved. Apparently they had driven in from the States for a day, and wanted to know how she would cross the border without her passport. The interviewer told her she couldn't cross, and she'd better stay overnight!

The other couple were more complicated. It sounded like the man was the USC and the wife was down in Seattle on a TN visa. They got married and were looking into the process of filing the I-130 when they came up to Vancouver/Canada on a visit. When they tried to get back through the border to go home, the wife was denied as they were married and she didn't have a greencard etc. Boy did I ever feel bad for them. The officer told them what we all know, that the wife would have to remain here and they'd have to apply for her visa. How sad.

Our interview was very straightforward. She asked how we met and when, when we first met in person, when we got engaged, what I did for a living, if I intended to work when I got to the States, what he did for a living, and how much money he made. Then we talked about the medical and she said that everything was fine except that I needed the medical. She gave me a piece of paper that allowed me back into the Consulate the next day to return with that information and that was it, 2 hours later.

We went to check into our hotel, The Inn at False Creek, after that. It was TERRIBLE! It looked awful, but that I can deal with! The problem was that whatever they used to clean that place was SO strong I had a headache within 5 minutes. Needless to say, we hightailed it out of there. Then we had a problem. Where were we going to stay? Well, 4 hours of driving around later, we decided to stay out by the airport again, at the Richmond Inn, a Best Western. That was a great hotel! The problem was it meant that we had to be up by 5 to get into Vancouver for my medical at 6:15. That was a LONG day! It started off locking the keys in the trunk! YIKES! Thank goodness the car was unlocked!

We got to the medical, and had a little trouble finding reasonable parking at that hour. I'll post a link in another thread, but we found good parking only a block away for $8 for the whole day. The medical was very straightforward. I gave them my paperwork, they sent me for a quick blood test, then a quick x-ray, and then a quick doctor visit. He didn't ask my hardly any questions, just checked my eyes, listened to me breathe, and checked my reflexes. They also did my height and weight! NO problem! Oh, and I didn't have to have the HPV shot. They said that it was so new that the government isn't quite enforcing it yet. Since I didn't want it, they marked Contraindicated on the vaccine sheet for me! YAY! I was all done the medical by 9 am. We were back there at 1:45, had the results by 2:10 and were at the consulate to drop them off by 2:15.

I ran in there, with nothing other than my passport, my letter, and my medical. I waited about 15 minutes for someone to see me. She opened my medical envelope, looked it over for a few seconds, and said everything was fine. She took my passport and told me to come back the next day at 2 and pick up my visa! YAY! APPROVED!

So, after that we checked into the Pan Pacific Hotel on the waterfront. Man it was AMAZING! That was definitely the best night! 4 hotels in 3 nights! What a wild ride!

So, that brings us to today. We got to the Consulate, picked up my visa, and now here I am waiting at the airport for my flight! The visa package is in my carry on bag, my passport is in my purse, and I'm worried that I'm going to lose it! ~giggles~

I'll be flying home to Edmonton tonight, getting rid of the rest of my belongings tomorrow, and then flying home to be with my baby on Saturday afternoon! I'm SO excited!

[David_n_Amber 3]

COOOOOONNNNNNNNNGRATS ATEAM!!!!!!!!! i knew it'd be easy for you two

i miss edmonton

Edited April 24, 2008 by David_n_Amber

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

Well, hold on folks, this is going to be a long one!

As you know, we had to do things the backwards way. This meant getting here on Monday night, doing the interview on Tuesday, and then the medical on Wednesday!

So, I flew in to Vancouver on Monday night, while Andrew flew up to Seattle and then drove the rest of the way to meet me. We stayed at the Radisson hotel, which was very nice! You might wonder why I'm telling you about the hotel, but you'll see!

We got up early on Tuesday morning, checked out of the hotel and made our way into Vancouver. We parked near the Consulate and then walked around downtown, looking for a place to go eat. I highly recommend Urban Rush. It's a gourmet grocery store/cafeteria style restaurant. It was some of the best food that we had during our stay. It was a block down from West Pender and Hastings I think. I'm not sure the exact directions, but google it!

Anyhow, we went for our interview, and I realize that I should have left my coat in the car. It was a bit of a hassle to take everything out of the pockets, and carry it all around. You have to go through two security check points so make sure you don't put everything BACK in your pockets! Anyhow, I didn't bring any electronics, or my purse or anything, so that was good! We got up to the interview room, after the second security checkpoint. It's kind of neat, after the first checkpoint you go up a flight of stairs where you tell the officer you're there for your K visa appointment. He pushes the up button on the elevator and when it opens, scans his card so you can access the 20th floor. When you get up there you do a second checkpoint, after which he opens the locked door and lets you into the room. Before he let us into the room though, he called ahead to let them know that we were there.

After waiting a little bit we were called to the first window. While waiting I was really nervous. At the first window, A, she asked for my paperwork in a certain order. We did all of that, and we got to the last piece, the medical. I told her I didn't have it and for a second she looked at me like "WHAT?!", and then asked me what I meant. I produced the email saying that I could have the medical the day AFTER the medical, and she said alright, as long as I knew I'd have to bring the results back the next day. I said that I did and she told me that I'd have my fingerprints taken at window 1 and then I'd have my interview at window 4, and asked us to sit down.

We sat down and started talking. I felt MUCH better at that point. There was another couple doing a K1 visa as well. They were in their late 40's I'd say and were doing everything just a step in front of us. Other than that, there was no one else in there. Anyhow, I did my fingerprints, which were super easy and then sat down again. Just as the other couple were starting their interview, another couple came through the door. The room is pretty small there, and they don't actually have rooms, just windows, so if you talk in a regular voice, even a whisper you can hear everything.

The couple were having their interview, and then the other couple was talking to an officer. We could simultaneously hear both conversations at once. The interview for the one couple was going smoothly. There were a few hitches. The interviewer paused a little when the lady said she was already living in the States with her niece. She also had trouble when the interviewer asked if she'd ever had trouble crossing the border and she said no. They obviously had had trouble cause the interviewer could see whatever the border crossing agent had written about it. It took a few minutes but the couple eventually elaborated. Obviously it wasn't a huge issue as they were approved. Apparently they had driven in from the States for a day, and wanted to know how she would cross the border without her passport. The interviewer told her she couldn't cross, and she'd better stay overnight!

The other couple were more complicated. It sounded like the man was the USC and the wife was down in Seattle on a TN visa. They got married and were looking into the process of filing the I-130 when they came up to Vancouver/Canada on a visit. When they tried to get back through the border to go home, the wife was denied as they were married and she didn't have a greencard etc. Boy did I ever feel bad for them. The officer told them what we all know, that the wife would have to remain here and they'd have to apply for her visa. How sad.

Our interview was very straightforward. She asked how we met and when, when we first met in person, when we got engaged, what I did for a living, if I intended to work when I got to the States, what he did for a living, and how much money he made. Then we talked about the medical and she said that everything was fine except that I needed the medical. She gave me a piece of paper that allowed me back into the Consulate the next day to return with that information and that was it, 2 hours later.

We went to check into our hotel, The Inn at False Creek, after that. It was TERRIBLE! It looked awful, but that I can deal with! The problem was that whatever they used to clean that place was SO strong I had a headache within 5 minutes. Needless to say, we hightailed it out of there. Then we had a problem. Where were we going to stay? Well, 4 hours of driving around later, we decided to stay out by the airport again, at the Richmond Inn, a Best Western. That was a great hotel! The problem was it meant that we had to be up by 5 to get into Vancouver for my medical at 6:15. That was a LONG day! It started off locking the keys in the trunk! YIKES! Thank goodness the car was unlocked!

We got to the medical, and had a little trouble finding reasonable parking at that hour. I'll post a link in another thread, but we found good parking only a block away for $8 for the whole day. The medical was very straightforward. I gave them my paperwork, they sent me for a quick blood test, then a quick x-ray, and then a quick doctor visit. He didn't ask my hardly any questions, just checked my eyes, listened to me breathe, and checked my reflexes. They also did my height and weight! NO problem! Oh, and I didn't have to have the HPV shot. They said that it was so new that the government isn't quite enforcing it yet. Since I didn't want it, they marked Contraindicated on the vaccine sheet for me! YAY! I was all done the medical by 9 am. We were back there at 1:45, had the results by 2:10 and were at the consulate to drop them off by 2:15.

I ran in there, with nothing other than my passport, my letter, and my medical. I waited about 15 minutes for someone to see me. She opened my medical envelope, looked it over for a few seconds, and said everything was fine. She took my passport and told me to come back the next day at 2 and pick up my visa! YAY! APPROVED!

So, after that we checked into the Pan Pacific Hotel on the waterfront. Man it was AMAZING! That was definitely the best night! 4 hotels in 3 nights! What a wild ride!

So, that brings us to today. We got to the Consulate, picked up my visa, and now here I am waiting at the airport for my flight! The visa package is in my carry on bag, my passport is in my purse, and I'm worried that I'm going to lose it! ~giggles~

I'll be flying home to Edmonton tonight, getting rid of the rest of my belongings tomorrow, and then flying home to be with my baby on Saturday afternoon! I'm SO excited!

Congrats!!!!!! Now comes the fun part.

[MissStacey 1]

Yay!!! Congrats!!

[Autumnchik 6]

CONGRATS!!!

[Flames9_RN 358]

Congrats!! I think I stayed at that best western!! Our flight from halifax to vancouver to comox was delayed in Halifax, so we missed our Comox portion, so on DND's expense we stayed there!! Drank many a beer that night,lol Congrats!!

[Krikit 1,164]

Wow! Excellent review! That poor couple that got turned down. That must have been a shocker. Congratulations!

[TheATeam 0]

Thanks for the congrats guys! I'm SO glad that the "hard part" is over. At least we'll be together for the next part! I neglected to mention in my review that I missed my first flight to Vancouver because of Alberta's wonderful weather on Monday! Thank goodness that I wasn't taking the last flight out! YIKES! I'm almost done now! I'll be flying out to Boise on Saturday afternoon! YAY!

[penn-kd 0]

Congrats! You will have to tell us later about your POE. Mine is going to be edmonton too. Good luck and I wish you all the best. I am getting excited my interview is on Monday.

[~Laura and Nick~ 5]

Congratulations my dear friend!

I've enjoyed talking on MSN all throughout your journey and I'm so proud and happy for you and Andrew.

Have a safe trip home.

Thanks for being here during my journey too, you've helped me so much.

Love you girl

~Laura

[penn-kd 0]

Did they keep your pictures or even look at them?

[TheATeam 0]

That was the other thing I forgot to add into my review. At the very end of the interview she asked us if we had any pictures to show her. I pulled out my pictures and showed them. She picked the one with my puppy and said that was her favorite. She didn't keep anything though. She gave everything back, except for the copies of my certificates!

[charlene 0]

Conratulations!!!!!!

I am so thrilled for you both!!!

P.S.

Just to update....we have 2 weeks till the wedding!!!!!!!!!!

[trailmix 77]

Congratulations ATeam - great review and great news

[Leafgal 3]

Congrats to you, and good luck on the move. And your right the hard part is going to be over since you will be together for the next part.