Confused about where to line up at Consulate

[NinaD 6]

Okay, this might be a stupid question, but some people in their reviews about Montreal talk about where to line up at the Consulate and it is a little confusing.

I see on Google Maps that 1155 Rue St-Alexandre has a double glass door with the Consulate seal over it. Is that where the line starts? A lot of people in their reviews talk about another place to line up - or an alcove - where is that? I just want to know that I am going to the right spot. LOL

My interview is on March 11th.

Thanks

[Saylin 1,605]

Okay, this might be a stupid question, but some people in their reviews about Montreal talk about where to line up at the Consulate and it is a little confusing.

I see on Google Maps that 1155 Rue St-Alexandre has a double glass door with the Consulate seal over it. Is that where the line starts? A lot of people in their reviews talk about another place to line up - or an alcove - where is that? I just want to know that I am going to the right spot. LOL

My interview is on March 11th.

Thanks

I suggest you check out this thread I made: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/359761-montreal-consulate-picturesmaps/page__p__5252525 I show you exactly where to line up

[NinaD 6]

I suggest you check out this thread I made: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/359761-montreal-consulate-picturesmaps/page__p__5252525 I show you exactly where to line up

Saylin, you're awesome! That is so perfect. I thought that the doors on St-Alexandre St. were the right ones and now you have confirmed it. I didn't even know that there were doors on Rene-Lev St. Thanks for the excellent photos!

[Saylin 1,605]

Saylin, you're awesome! That is so perfect. I thought that the doors on St-Alexandre St. were the right ones and now you have confirmed it. I didn't even know that there were doors on Rene-Lev St. Thanks for the excellent photos!

You're welcome! Not all photos were mine, but I added the drawings on them I wasn't completely sure where to stand either for my interview, so I thought I'd help others and add some visuals

[Tom & Stacy 3]

I also used these pictures and drawings last summer when preparing for my Montreal interview. It helped so much!

[beebeenell 1]

You think your confused now... wait till after you get in the doors... Your worried about the easiest thing.... Parking was a nightmare.. I was half our early to find 20 people already in line in freezing rain.... You go one person at a time through the door, I was out side for 30 minutes to find out you can't bring a purse, no phone.. NOTHING BUT YOUR PAPERWORK, there is a board of what you can't bring.. the board would be smaller if you put what you could bring...lol I had a purse.. so I had to go ALL THE WAY to the car and put it in the car , then I had to go back in line again... there was a girl there who asked for your information,.. letter, passport...etc.. she put a sticker on your passport.. then you go through security.. you go into an elevator... then go into a room and register.. then wait..... then they call you to a window.. speak to them for a few minutes.. then wait some more... then go to another room... talk to an agent standing up... then he will tell you if your approved or not for the next step then head home, all you get is a photocopied letter "WELCOME TO THE UNITED STATES... I the trip was 10 hours EACH WAY... hotel was over a hundred dollars.. food.. and we know montreal is soooo expensive... then traffic.. horrible weather.. mean french people... so I can see the two immigration officers for a grand total of 20 minutes... wow !!!! I was there for a total of 3 hours.. you can't bring NO ONE but an interpreter.. don't even bother asking to have your finance go... unless you can't speak english NO ONE ALLOWED IN

Once the packet finally comes... which it came over a week later... you can take off... I crossed at Detroit... I had everything documented in a U-HAUL truck.. boxed.. labelled.. the whole nine yards ... even went in the middle of the night so I don't even take longer.. They didnt even want to see the truck, much less the paperwork.. what a waste of my time.. they opened up the packet you weren't suppose to.. stamped your passport and wrote a few things in it and I was off..10 minutes at the most... took me hours to list and document what I was bringing with me... UGH!!!

But... finally from day one.. Dec 1, 2010.. to today. March 2, 2013... I am finally a temporary permanent resident ( Feb. 28, 2013) and waiting for my green card to come in the mail. (make sure in the adjustment of status interview you ask for a stamp so you can cross the border.. I crossed SAME DAY to see my parents and family I had not seen in 5 months.... finally got a job and now have to wait till I am married for two years for my permanent resident green card... another $550 bucks...

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Congratulations on your green card, beebeenell . That was a long wait - and I know exactly what that feels like!

Just to add a little bit of reassurance for those attending interviews in Montreal, your American fiance is allowed to join you for the interview. As an American citizen he/she is always allowed into the US Consulate. Some US fiances have even been allowed in on the K-1 interviews.

Also, the package that says 'do not open' is supposed to be opened by the people who process your K-1 visa at the US border. No one else is allowed to open it, but they have to. They verify the contents, make the required notations about the I-94 and the time and location you enter with the K-1 and then forward it to the appropriate office where it waits until you file for AOS and it is matched up to that petition. So, don't worry if they open that Do Not Open envelope at the border - you want them to do that. (Unfortunately, it does appear that sometimes this is also the source of missing documents from that envelope. The envelope contains your complete USCIS/DOS file - every piece of paper and document you and immigration have prepared in regards to your immigration journey. They allow you to be the courier to bring it to the border and get it back into USCIS' hands ).

[moemac59 192]

Saylin, you're awesome! That is so perfect. I thought that the doors on St-Alexandre St. were the right ones and now you have confirmed it. I didn't even know that there were doors on Rene-Lev St. Thanks for the excellent photos!

Nina, you should scope out the location the day before your interview so you know exactly where the enterance is. Saylin is a rock star!! I know when I had my interview, her thread was super helpful

[Saylin 1,605]

Nina, you should scope out the location the day before your interview so you know exactly where the enterance is. Saylin is a rock star!! I know when I had my interview, her thread was super helpful

Scoping out the location is an EXCELLENT suggestion When I had my medical done at Medisys (which is literally just a few blocks away from the consulate), I went to the consulate afterwards to get a feel for the place and see where to line up. That's when I also took the pictures that were included in the above-mentioned thread. Ii definitely made me comfortable when the day of my interview actually came as I knew exactly where I was going!

[moemac59 192]

You think your confused now... wait till after you get in the doors... Your worried about the easiest thing.... Parking was a nightmare.. I was half our early to find 20 people already in line in freezing rain.... You go one person at a time through the door, I was out side for 30 minutes to find out you can't bring a purse, no phone.. NOTHING BUT YOUR PAPERWORK, there is a board of what you can't bring.. the board would be smaller if you put what you could bring...lol I had a purse.. so I had to go ALL THE WAY to the car and put it in the car , then I had to go back in line again... there was a girl there who asked for your information,.. letter, passport...etc.. she put a sticker on your passport.. then you go through security.. you go into an elevator... then go into a room and register.. then wait..... then they call you to a window.. speak to them for a few minutes.. then wait some more... then go to another room... talk to an agent standing up... then he will tell you if your approved or not for the next step then head home, all you get is a photocopied letter "WELCOME TO THE UNITED STATES... I the trip was 10 hours EACH WAY... hotel was over a hundred dollars.. food.. and we know montreal is soooo expensive... then traffic.. horrible weather.. mean french people... so I can see the two immigration officers for a grand total of 20 minutes... wow !!!! I was there for a total of 3 hours.. you can't bring NO ONE but an interpreter.. don't even bother asking to have your finance go... unless you can't speak english NO ONE ALLOWED IN -

But... finally from day one.. Dec 1, 2010.. to today. March 2, 2013... I am finally a temporary permanent resident ( Feb. 28, 2013) and waiting for my green card to come in the mail. (make sure in the adjustment of status interview you ask for a stamp so you can cross the border..

Make sure that you have your appointment letter and your Loomis confirmation page with you for the interview. Without it, I have heard that they will deny you entry into the consulate.

When it comes to filing your Adjustment of Status after marriage, you should review the forum for that. If you file for Advanced Parole (AP)/Employment Authorization Document (EAD) at the same time of filing the I485, you will receive a combo card in the mail which will allow you to go back and forth to Canada and you won't need the stamp in your passport if you get this card. It usually comes about 3 months after you file for it. Filing for these at the same time of i485 is included in the application price 1080.00 USD.

If you do decide to file for AP and receive it before your greencard, make sure that you have that card as well as your passport if you go to Canada. Once you cross back over into the states, CBP will take your card and passport and you will have to be paroled in. They will give you a new I94 in your passport as well.

Good luck in your interview.

[Ms Hogan 295]

The address of the building on the Rene Levesque side is actually a different number all together. So once you see the "front" of the U.S. Consulate at the correct address you'll know you're there. Plus there's a sign in the window stating their hours. It is a very non-conspicuous entrance and location in my opinion.