POE Dorval-Trudeau airport

[Jersey Girl 2]

I'm assuming there's U.S. pre-clearance at the Montreal airport. Lots of people interview in Montreal but I haven't seen anyone report on flying back to the States from there, activating a K visa. (Or, will we be activating when we land in Newark, NJ?)

[MissStacey 1]

Yes. I flew from Montreal to New York many years ago and went though US Customs at the Dorval airport.

[cmartyn 0]

My wife and I cleared through there. Very quick and painless. Gave them the old Brown envelope and the Passport with the Visa and woosh.. we were off. I think it took 20 minutes max. Then we sat there. No place to smoke and very few entertainment options.

[Mephys 2]

I live in Montreal and go through Dorval everytime I fly to Chicago.

Definitely a pre-clearance there. Dunno about the K-1 though.

[cmartyn 0]

Forgot to answer the question. Yes, Visa will be activated in Montreal. You just need to activate your Taser when you get to Newark :-)

[Cassie 8]

I live in Montreal and go through Dorval everytime I fly to Chicago.

Definitely a pre-clearance there. Dunno about the K-1 though.

If it's anything like other PFI's, K-1s/K-3s/etc can clear it no problem.

On a semi-unrelated note, I'll be going through the PFI at Halifax this Christmas, will be curious how it goes.

[Allie 5]

I live in Montreal and go through Dorval everytime I fly to Chicago.

Definitely a pre-clearance there. Dunno about the K-1 though.

If it's anything like other PFI's, K-1s/K-3s/etc can clear it no problem.

On a semi-unrelated note, I'll be going through the PFI at Halifax this Christmas, will be curious how it goes.

It'll go good in Halifax.

I see you're from N.S. too I'm from Cape Breton been through Halifax

Customs a couple times pretty routine there

Good Luck

[ljs 1]

I activated my K-1 and my daughter's K-2 visa at Montreal Trudeau Int'l Airport a few weeks ago (Nov 16th). We arrived at the airport at 530am on a weekday and it was BUSY at the preclearence! We were sent to the secondary screening and it took about 20 minutes for our turn. Our packet was taken by an officer into an office who then proceeded to process us, though no one spoke to us yet...I just kept my eye on our stuff. I was certain, given the fact that they process most of the K visas in Montreal, that it would be a breeze, they would have seen one before and we'd be in and out quickly. I was wrong. There was much too-ing and fro-ing between our officer and several other officers, and I became very worried when our officer came out and said she couldn't find us in database "x" and another officer said try database "y"...that's when I started feeling nauseous. She referred endlessly to a big white binder, and filled in reams of paper. About an hour after our packet was taken by the officer, we were summoned to the counter and given our passorts and a stern lecture on working-don't and travelling, also don't, I was reminded that I must marry my USC within 90 days or leave the US. I was shown my I-94 and reminded to relinquish it when I left the US. I had planned to ask for a temporary EAD, but decided against it after the lecturing...I was just grateful to have the ok to pass through customs and frankly, chickened out.

That was my experience..a bit protracted but in the end no problems. Here is my advice for what it is worth:

1. Do not get into customs early in the morning...while I was processing the new shift came on...I'm sure it took longer as they all stopped to chat to the new shift. Also you are dealing with officers who are coming off a night shift. They are tired and crankier, and I heard more than one complain about it being too close to getting off shift to care anymore. It seems to me that they change shifts around 7 am.

2. Sit in the first row of the seats, that way you can keep your eyes on your packet and perhaps overhear what they are saying about it. At the very least, you can eavesdrop on the others going through secondary to help pass time. I witnessed 3 people being denied entry, and heard all sorts of interesting stuff being discussed by the officers...they do not value confidentiality here

Hope that helps.

Linda

[Jersey Girl 2]

Wow, Linda, thanks for the report. Sorry they put you through the ringer. Things that should be easy turn out to be complicated! But you're done now, thank goodness.

I'm trying to plan the day after the interview, when the passport is stamped. I'm wondering if it's a good idea to get a flight out of Montreal that day, or stay another night.

You have to get to the airport hours in advance these days for an international flight, and if we have to allow 2 extra hours to activate a visa, it could be a very long journey.

[ljs 1]

For what it is worth JG, I would get a flight out next day...especially if you are of the cautious tribe (which I am).

Here's why; there is a possibility that you will be delayed picking up your visa. When I went to pick mine up, the woman in front of me was sent away without a visa, because it wasn't done...yes they were sorry and yes she was promised, but it somehow got missed and she was told to come back the next day. On one of our visas there was a mistake, I was panicked, especially since the previous visa recipient was sent away. My daughter was flying out that night and I thought for sure we would have to cancel her flight. They asked if I could come back the next day and I told them about her flight and they fixed it, but it took an agonizingly long time. I must be scarier looking than the other woman! We made arrangements to fly out the next day because I didn't want to cut it short on time at the airport and figured picking up the passports at 230, out at 3, back to hotel and pick up luggage 345, at airport by 5pm at earliest which meant a late flight out. As it was I wasn't out of the visa office until almost 4, got back to the hotel at 415 and my daughter was on the bus at 430...just in the nick of time! Also if there is a snowstorm, it could take forever to get to the airport during rush hour.

Oh and the night I had the visa in my hot little hands...I slept like a log! The adrenaline crash from the pre interview stress was hard and I was glad to not be on a plane for 7 hours.

Just my 2 cents

Linda

[Saddle Bronc 124]

I'll add one from 7 years ago (1999-12-13).

After I got my EB-3 GC at Montreal consulate, I went first to the underground shopping centre (to get a meal as I hadn't had only had a capuccino before going to the consulate--not enough time to get anything else prior to 8:30 am), then from there to the greyhound station to take the bus to Dorval airport.

At Dorval, I checked in to Delta (I used a "mileage" ticket for the trip), taking a slightly later flight to Atlanta via Cincinnati (over the earlier one nonstop to Atlanta) to allow enough time to do the processing, then went to the PFI. Done within half an hour (fingerprint, passport stamping, etc.) and now went through security to wait for the flight.

[girl 37 7]

I activated my CR-1 at Trudeau. It was painless, but it took a bit longer than the K-3 at Vancouver. (Around 1/2 hr.) We didn't have any problems but my husband and I were appalled by two of the officers' behaviour: they were debating which one of them would inform a woman that her child wouldn't be allowed in, apparently because they thought the child was a crackhead because she was shaking so much. They were mimicking the woman crying. It was really sick.

[knowledge 0]

Wow, Linda, thanks for the report. Sorry they put you through the ringer. Things that should be easy turn out to be complicated! But you're done now, thank goodness.

I'm trying to plan the day after the interview, when the passport is stamped. I'm wondering if it's a good idea to get a flight out of Montreal that day, or stay another night.

You have to get to the airport hours in advance these days for an international flight, and if we have to allow 2 extra hours to activate a visa, it could be a very long journey.

Long time i haven't been here and try to catch up with the infos...nice surprise to hear about the interview, Congratulations!!!

[Jersey Girl 2]

Linda, I'm haunted by your experience, because this whole process has been one unexpected delay after another. First it was IMBRA and double RFEs. Then there was a long silence after finally being approved. Then it took 3 weeks for Package 3 to go from Montreal to Toronto with the wrong postal code.

I can't believe it has been 5 months since the NOA2 and we're still a month away from the interview! Murphy's Law has been in full play.

So why not play it safe and spend an extra night in Montreal? Three nights in a nice hotel could be a well deserved treat. Especially since we're spending Christmas apart and haven't seen each other since last March!

Edited December 16, 2006 by Jersey Girl