General Consensus on Interviews and approvals in Canada

[bowflex 0]

As long as you have all your documents in order you most likely won't have anything to worry about. I got an incredibly horrible person that did the interview for my wife and we were initially told that we'd have to file more paperwork and stuff, but after getting our lawyer to send in the docs that she refused to look at in the first place, my wife's visa was approved. It does depend on the person that you get for the interview but I've only heard of a handful of cases that were like my wife's where they had any trouble at all. Good luck!!!

What proof did they refuse? That sucks! How much longer did it take?

i'm hoping I get someone (preferrably not on a Monday, as it is the most depressing work day of the week)... and that they have a happy home life.... not someone who's wife just told him off before he left for work and he hasn't gotten lucky in 4 months lol! Just kidding... my problem is that I deal with stress with humour... i'll have to keep the jokes to a minimum

Well I ended up aggravating the Consul because she denied us without looking at our file so I called pretty much everyday as well as my Senator's office Lol. All in all it took her another 2 1/2 months but honestly I have not heard that this happened to anyone else. If you're a fine Canadian with nothing to hide you've seriously got a 99.99% chance to spend 30 minutes in the Consulate and then can check out the rest of Montreal

[Reba 2]

How do they track overstays from Canada when passports aren't stamped on entry to the US? Do they ask questions about stays and lengths of stays?

If you use your passport as ID when you come and go, they scan it and it keeps a record of it. They know when your last entry was, but they may not know when you left again, so if you're going back and forth every week, its pretty easy for them to figure out how long you've stayed.

I've been here a lot of years and I've seen probably half a dozen Canadians either be denied outright for various reasons (more than 2 that I can recall for admitted drug use, at least one maybe more for insufficient income on affidavit of support, another for criminal inadmissability) or had to endure extra paperwork for months on end (waivers for overstays, DUI etc).

**That's why you answer that question on the medical form "no" ;) It's an automatic denial, no matter where you're from. Some countries (Jamaica comes to mind) they sometimes do blood tests at the exam for tox screens. **

I didn't tell you that.

[MapleLeafBaby 1]

I heard that they can track by scanning your passport, and also your plate gets logged when you cross, and Canadian boarder logs your plate when you return too...

Funny thing, I don't recall much of the questions in my medical exam... they were all asked verbally and very general, not much emphasis... kinda like 'any history with abuse of illegal, legal drugs, violent behaviour' etc... and I just said 'no'... I was always so paranoid growing up I steered clear of anything that was sure to get me in trouble

[Wis-Can 0]

The Interview for us canucks is 99.999% of the time PAINLESS!! 99.99% of the tiem at interview, they do not even ask for evidence (pictures, letters, etc) Lucky if the interview lasts 10 minutes, and majority of that time it is silence, just the interviewer looking over your paperwork. Lot of my interview time was spent talking about where the interviewer had been posted. The people that seem to have problems are the ones with over stays, or have had DUI's or other criminal problems that require waivers!

How do they track overstays from Canada when passports aren't stamped on entry to the US? Do they ask questions about stays and lengths of stays?

My passport has been stamped with every entry into the US that I have made.

[MapleLeafBaby 1]

The Interview for us canucks is 99.999% of the time PAINLESS!! 99.99% of the tiem at interview, they do not even ask for evidence (pictures, letters, etc) Lucky if the interview lasts 10 minutes, and majority of that time it is silence, just the interviewer looking over your paperwork. Lot of my interview time was spent talking about where the interviewer had been posted. The people that seem to have problems are the ones with over stays, or have had DUI's or other criminal problems that require waivers!

How do they track overstays from Canada when passports aren't stamped on entry to the US? Do they ask questions about stays and lengths of stays?

My passport has been stamped with every entry into the US that I have made.

Really? I assume you are flying? I believe requirements are different if you fly and clear customs, than drive across the boarder... here in Toronto it is very common for Canadians to cross over to buffalo as it is only an hour away... I've never been stamped?

Actually I just checked my passport, and in all my travels to the US, I only flew once, and that is the one stamp I have in there I guess maybe it is a flying vs driving thing....

[TimandJoyce 1]

My passport only has two stamps. Maybe because I generally take the Clipper ferry out of Victoria, to Seattle and fly from there. So much cheaper to fly from State to State. Although, I did find a good deal from Orlando back to Victoria.

My interview is months away yet...and I'm nervous!! I'll pass the medical and police check with flying colours, but after that....

[Danu 19]

Even flying back and forth I only have one stamp in my passport from the last time I entered, no exit stamp on it though.

[Carlawarla 1]

Stop over worrying about passport stamps. There are many of us here who flew and drove across the border before we even needed passports. Even then, had little or no stamps.

There are very few outright denials on visas from Canada. Most know well enough in advance that they're going to be denied in regards to criminal records and drug use. If anyone on VJ has done any reading, it's no surprise, and they're prepared ahead of time with a waiver that they submit at the interview. Some people require additional paperwork, and that's given to them in short order. It's not a denial, just a non-issuance until the further paperwork is handed in.

Those of us that have been through this process will tell you that the interview is rather short, and uneventful. It stuns most of us that all that worrying is for nothing. We're in and out usually in about 10 minutes. I know it's hard to believe, but it's true!

Edited March 3, 2009 by Carlawarla

[Caladan 19]

C.'s interview was about five minutes. The most in-depth question was "Why are you moving to the U.S. instead of your fiancee moving here?"

It's not that Canadians never commit fraud (I heard somewhere once that Canadians are some of the worst immigration violators proportionally, but it's mostly overstays), but that if a Canadian really wants to get to the U.S., it's very easy to do, so there's no particular reason to dupe an American into a visa.

[trailmix 77]

The Interview for us canucks is 99.999% of the time PAINLESS!! 99.99% of the tiem at interview, they do not even ask for evidence (pictures, letters, etc) Lucky if the interview lasts 10 minutes, and majority of that time it is silence, just the interviewer looking over your paperwork. Lot of my interview time was spent talking about where the interviewer had been posted. The people that seem to have problems are the ones with over stays, or have had DUI's or other criminal problems that require waivers!

How do they track overstays from Canada when passports aren't stamped on entry to the US? Do they ask questions about stays and lengths of stays?

I am kind of surprised that you asked this rexalite as, in looking at your timeline, I see your file is completed at NVC. When you filled out the DS-230 you would have answered this question:

25. List dates of all previous visits to or residence in the United States. (If never, write "never") Give type of visa status, if known.

So they have already asked you.

If your question is, might they ask again at the interview - sure.