Montreal Consulate Review -- CR-1 Visa Approval

[Wyatt's Torch 45]

Review time! First things first: I arrived in Montreal at Trudeau Airport the day before the interview and had pre-booked a hotel called Le Dauphin via Hotels.ca. More about the hotel shortly. Before I left for Montreal I was a bit concerned about how to get downtown from the airport, given that there are no direct metro lines etc., and a taxi has a flat rate of $45 each way. I ultimately settled on taking L'Aerobus, which is a nice big coach (nicer than a Greyhound) that leaves the airport every half an hour and takes you to the main bus station in Montreal. It cost $16 each way, or $26 return. I got a one-way ticket as I wasn't sure what my plans were going to be the next day. Anyhow, once you get to the main bus station, they have a few smaller shuttles that will take you to any of the local hotels for free (or at least, for a tip). I think that was the best deal for ME, at least, given that I was only going to be there for less than 24 hours. You do NOT need a reservation for L'Aerobus -- it has a small booth outside the Arrivals area of the airport, and you just pay there.

I arrived to my hotel about an hour and a half after my flight got in, and was delighted by all the features of the room -- it had beautiful decor, 11-foot ceilings, King-sized bed, and a computer with free internet access, which is a HUGE benefit to those folks who, like me, don't have laptops with wifi. French keyboards are a bit different though. They're QWERTY, but some of the symbols and punctuation are located in different places. After getting situated in the room, I took a walk to source out the Consulate, and indeed, it's only a six or seven minute walk (mostly uphill) away from the hotel. There are only two or three other hotels that are closer...but we're talking minutes here, so it's really no trade-off. The entryway to the Consulate was smaller than I'd expected -- the doors are only inset by about three feet. After wandering around the area for awhile (St. Catherines St. and a fairly busy / trendy area is only a couple of blocks away), I had some supper and returned back to the hotel and tried to force my PST body into the EST time zone...but couldn't really do it. Needless to say, I didn't get much sleep that night!

The next morning I got up around 5:15, washed up and got dressed in a shirt, tie and pants (and red Olympic mittens!) and was out the door at 5:52. As per previous reviews, I was careful to leave all electronic devices (including my cell phone) behind. All I had with me was my clothing, my jacket (which was empty except for tissues and chapstick), my wallet and my folder full of documentation. The folder, by the way, was ideal -- it was a sturdy plastic accordion folder I bought at Superstore (a.k.a. Loblaws in the East) that had a couple of fastening strings to keep it shut. It was truly perfect. I walked by the Consulate at what must have been right about 6:00 and noticed that there was nobody lined up...so I continued up the street to the Tim Hortons a block away and bought a coffee and a muffin. Much to my relief, no one had showed up at the Consulate by the time I returned a few minutes later. So from about 6:10 or so, I waited. And nearly froze to death. Seriously! It was about minus-six with a bit of wind, and every part of me felt it. The entryway provided a bit of a reprieve from the wind, but not the cold itself. But it's definitely my own fault -- I knew in advance that it would be chilly, but I didn't really think of how chilly minus-six is, me being a Vancouverite coming from fourteen-degree days. Suffice it to say, I was glad I at least brought my mittens, chapstick and tissues! So I waited. And waited. And waited some more. Occasionally people would walk down the street toward me and I kept thinking that they'd be the next in line...but nope! I was there for probably about forty minutes before the next guy showed up. I chatted with him for a bit and it turned out he was doing family immigration. Three or four minutes later a young woman arrived, and I noticed her making a quick call on her cell phone. I politely mentioned, "Oh, they won't let you have a cell phone in there," to which she snidely replied, "I know that!" then apologized for her tone...and a minute or two later I looked at her and saw that she was crying! I didn't ask why. She walked away for a bit, then returned -- presumably to drop off her cell somewhere. The other guy who was behind me in line was fretting aloud about the fact that he too had his cell with him. Next time I turned around I noticed he was gone, so I'm guessing he ran back to his hotel room to stash the phone. All in all, I was really surprised about how few people were there until roughly 7:15... THEN people started showing up. At about 7:35 the doors opened and let out a merciful burst of warmth!

Naturally, I went in first, and they let the guy behind me in as well. They had two x-ray machines side by side and two security officers to screen two people at the same time. I accidentally set off the metal detector when I walked through it and had to get wanded. I realized afterward that it must have been my necklace. Unfortunately, the gaffe was a bit costly because the guy behind me got the coveted letter A! I was quite peeved by that, though I didn't let it show...and was even MORE peeved when I got to the first waiting room beyond security and mentioned to the guy who had been behind me, "Lucky you, getting the letter A!" and he replied, "Yeah, I guess it pays to get here early." I felt like tackling him and stealing the A, but decided it was in my best interest to just smile and nod and be content with the B. But yeah...I froze my butt off for forty minutes only to get the B! Just imagine if I hadn't told him about his cell phone... No matter. I still encourage people to get there early though, as there have been MANY accounts of lines forming around 6:15 or so. I suspect my interview date was just a very quiet day.

Once letters A through E were assigned (four individuals and one family of three -- the crying girl wasn't one of the immigration hopefuls, I guess), we were escorted into an elevator by a guard (who looked a bit like Leon from "Blade Runner"...I should have asked him if he would turn over an upturned turtle), taken up to the nineteenth floor, and told to have a seat on the U.S. Citizens side of the floor. The floor itself is quite broad. There are three vending machines there -- one for candy, one for coffee drinks (quite cheap -- only a buck or so each) and one for pop. The view, as others have mentioned, is spectacular. It was a cloudless day at my interview, and the sun had just risen which made it all the more splendid. After ten minutes or so (approximately 8:00), letter A (grrrr!) was called to window 11, which is down a short hall and around the corner. Nothing more to add about the wait, really, other than that several elevator loads of people came up and sat down on the other side of the floor. At about 8:10, letter A guy came back, and then a couple of minutes later, letter B (me!) was called to window 10.

The clerk at this window was a really nice young black lady with a soft voice and a French accent. She wasn't chit-chatty, but was very clear about everything she needed from me. ~*~Note that due to Electronic Processing, this part of my review will surely differ from others.~*~ I was asked for the originals AND copies of most of my main documents. I just have to give a shout out to Sdhiman for listing them all in the way that she did, because HER review, more than any other, put my mind at ease about what documents I needed at that part of the interview. As a result of her review, I had all of the pertinent documents together in order and had each of them tagged with a Post-It Tag. I am SO glad I did that! The clerk asked for the exact same documents as Sdhiman listed in her review, although I was asked for them in a different order than she was. I don't exactly remember the order, I'm afraid, but I don't think that matters too much. I DO recommend that you have the Post-It tags on documents though -- it made each document easy to find, and the clerk didn't remove the tags, which helped HER (and anyone else handling the docs) keep track of them too. Once again, I strongly recommend that ANYONE who did Electronic Processing should read Sdhiman's review. Again, they asked me for the exact same documents that she listed in that review, so I won't bother repeating them here. After most of my documents and Xpresspost envelope were taken, she asked for my DS-230 and went over it with me line by line, ensuring that it was all correct. Indeed, there were changes to both my own address and my wife's address that needed to be made, but I knew from past reviews that this wouldn't be a problem. The clerk simply used corrective tape to white out the old information and wrote down the updated data. She then asked me to have a seat in the same room (in front of windows six through twelve), and I overheard her say to a colleague something like, "That went so smoothly," to which her colleague replied, "Yeah, there have been a few like that lately. If only ALL of them could be that way!" I couldn't help but think of the other four VJers who had interviews this week...I bet THEY were the "few like that lately!" After about five minutes, the clerk called me up again and took my fingerprints -- four fingers together on the green scanner, right hand, then left hand...then two thumbs together. She had to retake one of them. No biggie. There's also hand sanitizer there, which I used afterward. Then she told me to return to the main waiting room until I was called again.

I was in the main room again at about 8:30, and a minute or two later, letter A (grrr!) was called to booth 9 (I think). He was in there for about fifteen minutes, and I just calmly waited in the waiting room, watching the clock, looking at the scores of people on the other side of the room etc. When the letter A guy came out, I raised my eyebrows and looked at him expectantly...and he gave me a thumbs-up, so at least his absconding with the letter wasn't in vain! Seriously though, it made me feel quite happy for him. Approvals are always good to see...and he seemed like a nice enough guy. A couple of minutes later, the moment of truth: "Letter B, please go to booth 8."

I opened the door to the booth, and it was actually bigger than I had expected. the Consular Officer (hereafter referred to as CO) looked a little like John Ritter crossed with an older Elijah Wood, and I could tell right away that he was a nice enough person. He said I could put my documents on the chair and hang my coat on the coat hook, which I did. He asked me to raise my right hand and swear an oath that everything I said would be the truth...at which point I said, "No, I'm afraid I can't do that" and I turned around and left the building. Okay, okay. No I didn't. I just wanted to make sure that you're still paying attention. Obviously I said, "Yes" to the oath, and he proceeded to ask me several basic questions. The first few were just fact-checking things like where my wife works (which is at the Opera). He asked, "Is she a singer?" To which I chuckled and said no, and told him her position...and that she had just got a promotion last week etc. He asked how we had met, and I told her it was on a hockey forum. He said, "Oh, for which team?" And I told him it was the Canucks. He said, "Oh, so what do you think of the twins?" And I proceeded to tell him (briefly!) my opinion of the Sedins. He then mentioned that it's unfortunate that his colleague didn't get to interview me, because HE apparently is a bigger hockey fan. The CO then asked what exactly IS a Canuck...and I explained the legend of Johnny Canuck, the lumberjack, the CO seemed to find that interesting. He asked why my wife, who is from Buffalo, was on a Canucks forum...was she just there to stir up trouble? I laughed and said that she just happened to be a fan of both teams. In truth, she WAS a bit of a troublemaker on the Canucks forum, but that's another story. He asked a few more questions...where I worked, and I mentioned that I'm currently off work right now. He asked what I DID do when I was working, and I told him that. I should point out that he was looking at documents before him as I was answering, so it really is more of a fact-checking interview than anything. And after that he said, "Well Sir, based on the information you have provided, I am happy to say welcome to the United States!" He then explained that all of my documents would likely be mailed out on Monday, and that I should get them by the middle of the following week. After thanking him etc., I asked him if he'd had many people mention Visa Journey. He said that not many people mention it, but that he knew it existed and that he thought it was great that there was a supportive community like VJ, "...provided that the information in that community is correct, and judging by all of your documents, it is!" I thanked him again and left, giving a thumbs up to the family that was still in the waiting room. I took the elevator back down, and there was a veritable THRONG of people in the entryway. It actually took a minute for me to actually make it outside. Suffice it to say, I walked back to the hotel, called my wife (who screamed in happiness) and my parents, then logged into VisaJourney to tell all my forum buddies the good news!

I'm not much for denouements, so I won't go on about the rest of the day. I stayed in my room until just before Noon, which was checkout time, and then wandered around Montreal like a zombie with my luggage, finally deciding to head back to the airport early. I waited at the airport for a few hours before finally flying home. I was pretty zonked due partially to jetlag and lack of sleep. Jetlag doesn't usually affect me too badly, but combined with all the walking I did and the cold weather and the emotional drain of the interview, I was in NO state to do anything except for just sit and stare at TV screens and people-watch.

So that's it! Reflecting back on the interview now, I guess my biggest surprise is that I wasn't asked for a single document beyond the basic requirements. Not one. None of the bona fide stuff was asked for, nor any other document beyond the ones that Sdhiman listed in her review. I probably spent at least $100 on getting documents that weren't needed...but I STILL think that it's better to be on the safe side. You don't want to risk it. Sure, *I* made it through without needing other documents, but perhaps a different CO would have wanted more...or a different immigration hopeful would have something that warranted more supporting information. Honestly, be overprepared. It's worth the peace of mind!

As always, if anyone has any questions or would like more information about the interview etc., just PM or email me. MAJOR thanks to the whole VisaJourney Canada crew. I can't imagine how much harder this process is for people who can't benefit from VJ's collective wisdom. We're not only good people...we're a great resource.

[wmtc 0]

Great review Wyatt, Im happy everything went smoothly for u buddy, hopefully ours will be painless as well next week!!!

[Kimbear 53]

Awesome review Wyatt!! I could actually picture it all as i read it. Quite a few chuckles in there as well

Congratulations on such a smooth day! Well aside from letter A guy..lol Can't wait to here about your POE!

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Congratulations again - and GREAT review!

[trailmix 77]

Nice review Wyatt

[BriCar 0]

Hey WELCOME to LOVE and LIFE in the USA!

Now are you gonna change your team to the Capitols? lol

[MrsCat 6]

Great review Wyatt. I learned something new - what a Canuck is.

[birdnerd 5]

Yowza! What a detailed (and great) review.

Cheers O torchful one.

[wmtc 0]

Hey Wyatt what bus station did u take the free shuttle to the hotel, were also staying at Dauphin.

[Wyatt's Torch 45]

Hey Wyatt what bus station did u take the free shuttle to the hotel, were also staying at Dauphin.

If you take L'Aerobus from Trudeau Airport, its only destination is the main bus station, also known as Berri-UQAM. Once it stops there, you just ask the bus driver about shuttles and he'll point you over to one of the smaller shuttle buses in the same lot. Just ask one of the drivers about Le Dauphin. Two shuttle drivers discussed for a moment which one would take the route that goes by Le Dauphin, and I got on the shuttle of the guy who won (or lost?). I was happy when I just got to the hotel -- one less thing to worry about!

You'll like Le Dauphin. Great little hotel with a lovely, spacious room. I'd stay there again if I was returning to Montreal.

[zenaxe 22]

If you take L'Aerobus from Trudeau Airport, its only destination is the main bus station, also known as Berri-UQAM. Once it stops there, you just ask the bus driver about shuttles and he'll point you over to one of the smaller shuttle buses in the same lot. Just ask one of the drivers about Le Dauphin. Two shuttle drivers discussed for a moment which one would take the route that goes by Le Dauphin, and I got on the shuttle of the guy who won (or lost?). I was happy when I just got to the hotel -- one less thing to worry about!

You'll like Le Dauphin. Great little hotel with a lovely, spacious room. I'd stay there again if I was returning to Montreal.

And you said it's only about a ten minute walk to the Embassy? Did you book a return flight with a late departure or did you go about it with two one ways, given the uncertainty of the interview day? I imagine an evening flight would work out regardless of any delays on interview day etc. Just curious as to how you went about it.

Later...

[Wyatt's Torch 45]

And you said it's only about a ten minute walk to the Embassy? Did you book a return flight with a late departure or did you go about it with two one ways, given the uncertainty of the interview day? I imagine an evening flight would work out regardless of any delays on interview day etc. Just curious as to how you went about it.

Later...

Less than a ten minute walk, unless you're really ambling!

I booked a return flight with a late departure -- 6:20 PM. Given that I was out of the Consulate by a little after 9:00 AM, it clearly wasn't necessary...but I don't regret it in the least. You're right that an evening flight would work regardless of any possible delays. I can't imagine a scenario where an interview would go much past noon, unless you arrived truly late or forgot something etc.

I seriously just vegged out at the airport for four hours afterward. I was too drained to do anything else! I had a couple of VJers who I had hoped to get together with, but I was too zonked to be any kind of company.

[wmtc 0]

If you take L'Aerobus from Trudeau Airport, its only destination is the main bus station, also known as Berri-UQAM. Once it stops there, you just ask the bus driver about shuttles and he'll point you over to one of the smaller shuttle buses in the same lot. Just ask one of the drivers about Le Dauphin. Two shuttle drivers discussed for a moment which one would take the route that goes by Le Dauphin, and I got on the shuttle of the guy who won (or lost?). I was happy when I just got to the hotel -- one less thing to worry about!

You'll like Le Dauphin. Great little hotel with a lovely, spacious room. I'd stay there again if I was returning to Montreal.

Thanks Buddy, I can't wait to scope out Montreal!!! Is it a free shuttle bus service, do u have to pay to get to the hotel?

Edited March 7, 2010 by wmtc

[Wyatt's Torch 45]

Thanks Buddy, I can't wait to scope out Montreal!!! Is it a free shuttle bus service, do u have to pay to get to the hotel?

It's free, but they DO have a tip jar. I dropped a toonie into it. The bus station is actually fairly close to the hotel...about two kilometers, if I remember correctly. Only took about five minutes in the shuttle.

[wmtc 0]

Gotcha!!! Im looking forward to this, once again thanks for the great review