All You Need To Know for Your Interview *CHEER*

[darkchilde794 5]

Just wanted to start a thread to consolidate pre-interview prep advice, documents needed, hotels, transit, all you need to know about Montreal, etc. Dont have anything on top of my head, but I will post some of the research Ive found later.

I know, I know! Theres a boat load of these posts in this forum... BUUUUUUT there's so many of us scheduled for Nov, it just might be easier if we all talk in one thread so we (or I ) dont have to go back and forth when I have questions. So don't hate!

[CanAmerican 0]

This is a great idea! As the date comes closer...Im getting pretty anxious, nervous, nauseous, excited, not - so - excited etc.

Here are my 2 cents so far.

-If going from Toronto or around there, VIA Rail is probably the best option especially with the weather in nov ( who knows when it will snow)

- Use Trip Advisor for hotels. You can put in the address of the consulate and find hotels nearby. I will most likely be booking at Square Phillips which is pretty close to the consulate

- Dont bring cell phones/ electronics to the interview

- Arrive early...around 7 am sounds good.

- Bring your:

interview letter

passport

passport size pics

Xpress post envelope

Photocopies of forms you have sent (always good to have photocopies)

Medical result envelope

Evidence of ongoing relationship (alot of ppl that have had the interview mentioned that they didnt even look at their pictures etcs) But better safe than sorry So im bringing my wedding album, random pictures of us together, intineraries/ boarding passes of me visiting or him visiting me or us vacationing together

I think that's about everything??

I am a CR1 so in the interview letter it did not say if I had to pay a fee or anything at the interview. Anyone else know anything about that?

[Peachey 10]

K-1s have to pay 131$, CR1s don't have to pay I think because they paid at another time.

[July09Bride 1]

Try this thread for additional info... I'll give it a bump, too!

[Hugglebuggles 60]

My husband refuses to take any sort of public transit aside from an airplane, so we drove and I really wouldn't recommend it. The streets in Montreal are insanely confusing and people jaywalk like crazy. If you take the VIA rail there is a station directly across from the Hilton Bonaparte (or something like that) where we stayed. It was super nice and only about 10 minutes from the consulate walking. I'd recommend it, but its not the cheapest hotel in the area, that's for sure.

You will be told this 100 times between your interview and now, and I'm sure you've all heard it before but the interview is very easy. It just is! As long as you have all the documents you need and are confident in your responses this will be the easiest part of the process. You will stress out but afterward you'll wonder why!

[KnJ 0]

Just wanted to start a thread to consolidate pre-interview prep advice, documents needed, hotels, transit, all you need to know about Montreal, etc. Dont have anything on top of my head, but I will post some of the research Ive found later.

I know, I know! Theres a boat load of these posts in this forum... BUUUUUUT there's so many of us scheduled for Nov, it just might be easier if we all talk in one thread so we (or I ) dont have to go back and forth when I have questions. So don't hate!

Hmmm. This forum, generally but also in Canada specifically, gets sooooo much action. I get very overwhelmed, even with the 4ish threads I follow.

I suggest the following (but will try to not be extremely ####### about it )

Individual threads for (in no particular order, and really my own wishlist)

• Hotel Tips for Montreal
• Transport to/in Montreal
• Paperwork and other stuff for Interview
• Montreal Social -- meeting place for Canadians interviewing on the same day
• POE type stuff Canada - US

Granted, it's sometimes hard to keep topics discrete, or stay on topic for that matter, but I'll tell ya, I try to search through the mountain of info already in the forums, plus wade through current threads, and I just get lost. I have bookmarked 1 thread that seems relevant here.

Thoughts?

[Rhiannercakes 14]

I'm thinking about POEing at the border and flying out of Detriot, is this possible?

[Peachey 10]

I'm thinking about POEing at the border and flying out of Detriot, is this possible?

I don't see why not. As long as you don't have a connecting flight in another country

[KnJ 0]

I'm thinking about POEing at the border and flying out of Detriot, is this possible?

I don't see why not. As long as you don't have a connecting flight in another country

Detroit, stopover in Ireland...

[KnJ 0]

• Hotel Tips for Montreal
• Transport to/in Montreal
• Paperwork and other stuff for Interview
• Montreal Social -- meeting place for Canadians interviewing on the same day

• Getting Visa Details (aka expresspost envelope, time it takes, other considerations)
• POE type stuff Canada -> US

  ... maybe Land Travel and Air Travel

I also think, actually, a new thread isn't a bad idea. I'm starting to just refresh Canada forum rather than looking at topic subscription notices in my email. I find that way I'm not reading the same posts twice..

Edited October 20, 2009 by KnJ

[Rhiannercakes 14]

I'm thinking about POEing at the border and flying out of Detriot, is this possible?

I don't see why not. As long as you don't have a connecting flight in another country

Detroit, stopover in Ireland...

[The_Dude 1,142]

You do not need to bring the X-Rays with you. That big floppy envelope is not required at the interview. I would suggest you bring an entire copy of your visa submision in addition to the documents that they ask you to bring in the packet you receive. Furthermore, I would suggest you familiarize yourself with where all the documents are in a folder of sorts. I know it sounds simple and dumb, but before you actually get an interview, you'll be called up to a booth and asked to produce documents etc and show this and that in your packet. You do not want to draw the ire of the legendary "Mean Lady of Montreal".

VIA Rail is a good idea, just make sure to get an express train. Otherwise you stop at sooooo many small towns on the way there. If you are worried about hotel costs, I would suggest Hotel LaTour Centre-Ville. It's not too bad, and reasonably priced (around $80 per night) and is right across the street from the embassy.

[bogartnoir 1]

i request hotel tips!

grant is taking the greyhound, i'm taking amtrak from nyc

[July09Bride 1]

i request hotel tips!

grant is taking the greyhound, i'm taking amtrak from nyc

We stayed at the Hyatt (5 minute walk from the Embassy) and got the room on Hotwire for $64 (US)!! LOVED the room and the hotel was amazing.

Check our beddingbidding.com and that site will help you determine the hotel and current rates for the night you're looking at through either Priceline or Hotwire. We did our honeymoon hotel through Priceline and got a hotel for $100/night while the rate on the hotel's wrbsite was over $200/night.

So, you can get some GREAT deals that way! Now that I know how to work the PL/HW system, I'll keep going back!

Best of luck!

[bogartnoir 1]

i request hotel tips!

grant is taking the greyhound, i'm taking amtrak from nyc

We stayed at the Hyatt (5 minute walk from the Embassy) and got the room on Hotwire for $64 (US)!! LOVED the room and the hotel was amazing.

Check our beddingbidding.com and that site will help you determine the hotel and current rates for the night you're looking at through either Priceline or Hotwire. We did our honeymoon hotel through Priceline and got a hotel for $100/night while the rate on the hotel's wrbsite was over $200/night.

So, you can get some GREAT deals that way! Now that I know how to work the PL/HW system, I'll keep going back!

Best of luck!

Hyatt Regency Montreal

1255 Jeanne-Mance, PO Box 130,

Montreal, Quebec, Canada H5B 1E5

this the one? I'M ON IT! thanks!

Edited October 20, 2009 by bogartnoir