K-1 people waiting for interviews at Montreal

[Toronto Guy 0]

My review (from the perspective of someone on the receiving end)

It's been said again and again that the interview is the easiest part of the visa journey and after being through the experience yesterday, I can attest to the truth of that statement; there's really nothing to worry about as long as you do as your told and perform like a robot. I saw some other folks (not from VJ) on the verge of a nervous breakdown and I completely understand how the mind can put a person there - most of you know how helpless I felt a month ago thinking about every horrible scenario that could happen. Strangely enough, after 8 months of paranoia and worrying, I was the calmest I've ever been throughout the whole process. We had done everything we were supposed to do - there was nothing left to do but go through the motions of the interview.... Kristin mentioned here that she was nervous, however, I think it was due to the fact that she wanted to leave the x-rays back at the hotel since most VJ'ers say they don't need it for the interview. When we got to the elevator with our little check-list, it read "separate your x-ray report from your x-ray", which implied that they would ask for it. Well, that document was inside the brown envelope back at the hotel!!! Nonetheless, they never asked for it at the booth nor did they want the x-ray. However, I would still suggest you bring your x-rays regardless what other VJer say. DON'T TAKE CHANCES! Should you have any medical history worth questioning or further investigation, it is the consuls right to ask for the x-ray. The doctor wouldn't have given it to you if there wasn't a remote chance you'd have to submit it for whatever arbitrary reason.

As long as your paper work is perfect order and you answer their questions like a robot (bleep, bloop, bloop) you will not have a problem. From my perspective, I don't think my interviewer was nice, rather, he was neutral. He barely talked to me as he conversed with Kristin the whole time. His tone of voice was different with me then her; to her, he was like an old comrade - to me, he was direct, straight, and to the point. It made me feel "less than" but don't forget what they say, "having a K1 visa is a privilege - not a right" - that was a perfect demonstration of that concept. The lady who did my paper filing was fairly decent; she greeted me with a smile. All she did was fire off commands and paper ID forms and I shot them back through the booth at her quick and fast. The guards at the door were straight up typical security officers: no smiles, commanding, linear, "do this - do that" etc... All in all, nothing was warm and friendly about the interview, it was a cold and bureaucratic environment. I don't think being a warm fuzzy care-bear is part of their mandate so my suggestion is not to expect that. Just do as your told and you'll be fine.

On my way out, I made sure to smile and thank the guard to remind him that even security guards can show their humanity. I think he cracked a smile too...

I'd like to hear AmberL's story in more detail as it sounds like she had more of a bad experience with someone there.

Edited July 9, 2009 by Toronto Guy

[hapycloud 0]

Hey all sorry I didn;t write earlier but had no computer yesterday. My fiance was approved YEAH!! Was so nice meeting with and having lunch with fellow VJ'ers, helped the anxiety of the morning for sure! I am at work so can't write a review right now, but I will later, though my review is similar to what everyone else has said!!

My fiance is moving with his parents next thursday or Friday (Friday at the very latest)

[jessiewu 0]

I arrived around 6:50 and saw 2 couples and a little girl there, so I knew must be fellow VJers! Because they knew exactly when and where to start lining up (the side of the door that has security camera) hahaha. Since I am on the same interview date as TorontoGuy and KristinL, I will just write what’s different.

-The officer that let us in to the building was all serious, but the guy at the security screening did smile when he told me to empty all my pockets and I replied that I only have garbage(plastic bag from my breakie) in my pockets. He still put the tray with my garbage through the x-ray machine then helped me throw it out, haha.

-KristinL/TorontoGuy, hapycloud, myself, amberL and this elder couple were the first group to go up to 19th floor. In the elevator, the officer asked us to give him our waiting number, the list and our passport, and keep our paper work to ourselves until get called to the window.

-I kept my x-ray and xpress envelop as is, but later found out that I could’ve folded the xpress envelop in half because that’s what they did to fit it in their file.

-Questions that I was asked at my interview:

• How we met and when was the first time we met in person

• Was it love at first sight? (I answered, not really, hahaha because we only communicated online and even though have seen his picture but still didn’t really know what to expect)

• Where he is from and where I am from originally

• How long has he lived in US

• Where do I plan to live

• How many times has he visit me and how many time have I visit him

• Have I committed any crime

• Am I under any prescription medicine or do any drugs

• Told me that I can’t really go US for just a short visit once my visa is issued, it will be considered as activation of my visa and will need to get married within 90 days. (Guess no more shopping in Buffalo!)

That was it. It is not too bad if you have your entire document prepared and follow their instructions (however weird it is, such as amberL’s experience). Oh and KristinL, Fiona is adorable and she is such a good girl the way I see it, not running around or crying like other kids there.

[amberL 0]

Ok so I was 4th in line and called up to window #9. I smilled and was very polite to the "lady" who never identified herself by name and who wasn't wearing a nametag. She was short, maybe 5 feet tall, slim, had long dark hair which was kinda wavy. Right away she told me to put all my documents that were listed on the checklist that they gave us when we came in through the window so I did. She yelled at me because I put the expresspost envelope through the window at the same time as the rest of the documents. So I removed the envelope from the pile and pushed the pile into the slot. Then she yelled some more because I didn't give her the envelope. GRRR I was thinking to myself.. umm ok. So then she asked for the affidavit of support and the supporting documents, so I handed her:

1) 2008 tax return

2) Letter from employer

3) letters from his banks

4) 2 different paystubs from his job and from the National Guard.

She made a snotty scrunched up face and made some comment about it being so much papers. But the questions I had e-mailed to the embassy were never really answered, my only reply was " Documents will be evaluated at the interview, goodbye" So I wanted to be safe. Then she asked for a copy of my passport. I had stapled my copies all in order so that the front of the book was on the front. Well of course that was wrong. She said " your biographic form needs to be on the front!" So I ripped off the front cover and put it at the end of my passport copies. Well apparently " your biographic form needs to be on the front!" means to fold over the front page because she had a fit because I ripped off the front page. it's not like I tore it up in her face or anything, I just tore if off in the corner by which it was stapled. So then she says "Why would you rip it??? I dont know why you would rip it????" and is muttering under her breath. Then I didn't have the 156 supplement form. So she gave me one of those to fill out, and a dead pen. I asked her if she had another pen because this one is dead and she snapped " THERE ARE ALWAYS 2 PENS!!!" I said well both the pens, the one you gave me and the one on the string are dead, So she gave me another dirty look and threw a pen through the window. After she had everything she told me to go pay, come back in this room "sit infront of her window, face forward, do not approach the window until she calls me even if there is no one at the window and she is standing there and to not talk to anyone." So after I waited for her to come back with a coffee and stand there for 5 mins before calling me , then went out to the waiting room as instructed and waited and waited to get fingerprinted. After nearly an hour, muffintop went to go and look for her because no one had been called to her window for nearly an hour and the people ahead of me were fingerprinted soon after providing their reciept. I was way too scared to go and look for her, and assumed she was likely in another room back there eating babies, because she already had a coffee. So the second time muffintop went to look, she came back and asked me if she was wearing a yellow shirt, I said no because when I had seen the mean lady she was wearing a brown button up shirt. I guess she changed because right after muffintop sat down, I was called to Window 9 for Fingerprinting. Well she was just as miserable while doing the fingerprinting as she was before. First she reviewed my and Charles' contact info and yelled at me because she couldn't hear me, but it wasn't my fault there was a girl in a green shirt sitting by her window who apparently didn't get the dont talk to anyone lecture because she was very loud. The mean lady was all like "OH YOU HAVE TO TALK LOUDER , THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT STUFF AND YOU WANT US TO HAVE THE CORRECT INFO." Then she turned up the volume on her side. She asked me for Charles's phone number and I was like "... I have him saved as a contact in my phone, I think I have had to actually physically dial his number all of twice." Of course this resulted in another disapproving look. So then the fingerprinting was done, she instructed me to read the instructions and when she tells me "when I say go, put your hand down right away like in the picture and press down." Well stupidly I expected her to say "go" because she said she would say go... instead she just said "left" and yelled " I don't see antyhing on the screen." Finally I was finished with her and called to interview room 7. The interviewer I had was about 65, wearing a black suit, yellow shirt and yellow tie. He was very very nice. When I walked in he asked me if I was alone or if my fiance was with me, I said something like unfortunately I am all alone After a little bit of chit chat, he looked at the employment letter and said," Oh your fiance works for the government." and that was it. Never asked me what he does, and I'm glad because I have a rough idea but I don't really know because of the security clearances. I was asked how we met and how many times I have been there, and he asked me to tell him something about the first time we met, so I told him about going to the South Carolina Aquarium and seeing a fish species named " Slippery ####### " and how that resulted in many laughs the entire visit, and how it became our own inside joke and how it was quite possibly the worst fish species name ever. Then he asked what I did for work and if I had any potential job leads, I told him I recently graduated and have a volunteer position lined up at the aquarium and that was it. I think my interview lasted a bit longer than most, but only because I went off on the slippery ####### tangent. Then when I got out of the interview room, I was like did I really tell him about the fish, but it was ok because he was laughing. The lady who I handed my documents was just so nasty, I really hope that not that many other people have to deal with her, or maybe she was just having a bad day, or they ran out of babies for her to eat... She made it seem like I was disorganized, but I had everything lined up together and knew exactly where everything was and no way had 4 copies of this mystery form. And interestingly when she came back from her hour whatever she was doing, she had a stack of 10 files and there was no way that she had seen 10 people, only about 5 people had been processed from what I could tell at that point.

[amberL 0]

My review (from the perspective of someone on the receiving end)

It's been said again and again that the interview is the easiest part of the visa journey and after being through the experience yesterday, I can attest to the truth of that statement; there's really nothing to worry about as long as you do as your told and perform like a robot. I saw some other folks (not from VJ) on the verge of a nervous breakdown and I completely understand how the mind can put a person there - most of you know how helpless I felt a month ago thinking about every horrible scenario that could happen. Strangely enough, after 8 months of paranoia and worrying, I was the calmest I've ever been throughout the whole process. We had done everything we were supposed to do - there was nothing left to do but go through the motions of the interview.... Kristin mentioned here that she was nervous, however, I think it was due to the fact that she wanted to leave the x-rays back at the hotel since most VJ'ers say they don't need it for the interview. When we got to the elevator with our little check-list, it read "separate your x-ray report from your x-ray", which implied that they would ask for it. Well, that document was inside the brown envelope back at the hotel!!! Nonetheless, they never asked for it at the booth nor did they want the x-ray. However, I would still suggest you bring your x-rays regardless what other VJer say. DON'T TAKE CHANCES! Should you have any medical history worth questioning or further investigation, it is the consuls right to ask for the x-ray. The doctor wouldn't have given it to you if there wasn't a remote chance you'd have to submit it for whatever arbitrary reason.

As long as your paper work is perfect order and you answer their questions like a robot (bleep, bloop, bloop) you will not have a problem. From my perspective, I don't think my interviewer was nice, rather, he was neutral. He barely talked to me as he conversed with Kristin the whole time. His tone of voice was different with me then her; to her, he was like an old comrade - to me, he was direct, straight, and to the point. It made me feel "less than" but don't forget what they say, "having a K1 visa is a privilege - not a right" - that was a perfect demonstration of that concept. The lady who did my paper filing was fairly decent; she greeted me with a smile. All she did was fire off commands and paper ID forms and I shot them back through the booth at her quick and fast. The guards at the door were straight up typical security officers: no smiles, commanding, linear, "do this - do that" etc... All in all, nothing was warm and friendly about the interview, it was a cold and bureaucratic environment. I don't think being a warm fuzzy care-bear is part of their mandate so my suggestion is not to expect that. Just do as your told and you'll be fine.

On my way out, I made sure to smile and thank the guard to remind him that even security guards can show their humanity. I think he cracked a smile too...

I'd like to hear AmberL's story in more detail as it sounds like she had more of a bad experience with someone there.

IMO the only thing that anyone has to worry about is that they do not get called to window 9.

Srsly I am /cowering just thinking about it.

[JillA 2]

Amber: What a bloody b1tch!! I hate people like that. Don't take your miserable mood and attitude on others. GRRRR well at least you were approved

[amberL 0]

Amber: What a bloody b1tch!! I hate people like that. Don't take your miserable mood and attitude on others. GRRRR well at least you were approved

Lol i know eh, I think it was window 10 and not 9 now too.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Wow Amber, that is appalling. Good for you though - that Slippery ####### story is so cute and one of those things that is hard to fake - it showed a real relationship between you and your partner. Congratulations.

[Kimbear 53]

omg Amber!! That women needs to be put in her place by someone bigtime..what a flipping wench...Seriously..how can ppl act like that?? Just wow...

At least on the positive side you all got approved. You can at least start to relax a bit. Tell ya..when it comes my time..David better come with me..cuz if i get her..man oh man..i'll just want to rip her head off if she acts like that to me..grrrr.

Hugs

[Danu 19]

oh wow, that has me absolutely horrified. Maybe I should bring a baby as a piece offering when I go

Congrats to you guys for passing though!

Edited July 9, 2009 by Danu

[JillA 2]

What peeves me off the most is that this is not something one would normally do. It's the first time for all of us, and like SO SORRY if I don't put the right paper first under the slot, I've never done it before! You think they'd be more freaking patient and understanding, gosh.

[Toronto Guy 0]

Has anyone from the Wednesday interviews been able to track their visa yet on Canadapost? Ours is still non-existent.

[JillA 2]

Has anyone from the Wednesday interviews been able to track their visa yet on Canadapost? Ours is still non-existent.

Usually it's not trackable until it's in your mailbox. Mine never showed up on CP website, even after I got it!

[amberL 0]

I haven't been able to track mine either, but my interviewer said they were mailing them that day or today at the latest.

[hapycloud 0]

Has anyone from the Wednesday interviews been able to track their visa yet on Canadapost? Ours is still non-existent.

Ours is non-existent, I just checked!