time to interview & time to enter US?

[sirius 32]

Hi,

My wife petitioned for me and we received our NOA2 recently. It took about 8 months for our NOA2 to come in! That really threw our plans in disarray. My wife (petitioner) is in her last year of medical school over-seas and her final exams are set to begin in late December & end in February 2014. After which we planned to a get away vacation and come to the US together.

1. Im wondering, if anyone knows if we can choose a date of interview to our liking at Montreal? And how late can we generally push it for?

2. If I go to the interview and everything goes well and they give me a visa, how much time will I have to pack up and move to the US? I think my wife has to be present in the US at the time I show up at POE with the cr1 visa, right?

I am just wondering if they will give me a duration of 3-4 months to wind everything up here in Canada before I can move to the US. I had to start a contract job which Im obligated to complete around the same time my wife finishes her college & moves back. Im just worried they might say, you have 2 weeks to move to the US, take it or leave it? Does that happen?

Thanking you in advance for your advice.

[canadian_wife 1,822]

You'll really want to post this in the Canada forum for regional answers.

NVC is the time to slow things down, not the interview stage.

You'll have about 6 months from the time the visa Is issued to when you can enter the US.

good luck

[sirius 32]

Thanks! Sorry, I had no idea there were regional forums as well. I'll post it over there as well.

[Darnell 8,478]

you should have 6 months after visa issuance date, to come into the USA on your CR-1 visa.

[Ryan H 3,812]

Duplicate topics merged.

[Darnell 8,478]

sirius, there's still doc intake to occur at NVC,

so, IMO, you two control the pace of stuff at NVC. Keep that in mind, as you are studying her calendar, your calendar, the timelines here at VJ, and the Montreal EP Wiki page in the wiki section.

[Allanah and Chris 8]

Hi,

My wife petitioned for me and we received our NOA2 recently. It took about 8 months for our NOA2 to come in! That really threw our plans in disarray. My wife (petitioner) is in her last year of medical school over-seas and her final exams are set to begin in late December & end in February 2014. After which we planned to a get away vacation and come to the US together.

1. Im wondering, if anyone knows if we can choose a date of interview to our liking at Montreal? And how late can we generally push it for?

2. If I go to the interview and everything goes well and they give me a visa, how much time will I have to pack up and move to the US? I think my wife has to be present in the US at the time I show up at POE with the cr1 visa, right?

I am just wondering if they will give me a duration of 3-4 months to wind everything up here in Canada before I can move to the US. I had to start a contract job which Im obligated to complete around the same time my wife finishes her college & moves back. Im just worried they might say, you have 2 weeks to move to the US, take it or leave it? Does that happen?

Thanking you in advance for your advice.

The two folks in line behind us with CR-1 interviews were from October 2012 and November 2012 filing dates, if that gives you any idea as to how long the wait may be for your interview.

[NikLR 13,227]

Really when you get the date varies. I interviewed in June and hubs filed the petition in Oct 2012. What date the people had that were with you has no bearing on when they will get the interview.

The important part is that IR1/CR1 have their interview scheduled by the NVC while K1 have to schedule their own. The bonus is you generally get a quicker date as a CR1/IR1, but often K1 can move their dates up because they do schedule their own.

[sirius 32]

Really when you get the date varies. I interviewed in June and hubs filed the petition in Oct 2012. What date the people had that were with you has no bearing on when they will get the interview.

The important part is that IR1/CR1 have their interview scheduled by the NVC while K1 have to schedule their own. The bonus is you generally get a quicker date as a CR1/IR1, but often K1 can move their dates up because they do schedule their own.

Since I am CR1, if the date offered clashes with my schedule, will it be difficult for me to change it?

I was under the impression we pick the date from a pool of options given to us, I guess not.

[canadian_wife 1,822]

No, NVC will offer you a date. If you choose to reschedule, I believe you get put at the back of the line. It could delay your case months

good luck

[Darnell 8,478]

Since I am CR1, if the date offered clashes with my schedule, will it be difficult for me to change it?

I was under the impression we pick the date from a pool of options given to us, I guess not.

I suggest this, instead.

Study the timeticks for a CR-1 visa chaser whilst the casefile is at NVC,

then plan your calendar around submitting stuff into NVC.

Just because the casefile is at NVC does not mean you have to go fast. YOU CONTROL THE PACE, and NVC gives you 1 year per thing (IV, AOS) so you have 2 years at NVC to handle document intake.

so - plan accordingly, but study first.

That's it, that's all, I Swear !

[NikLR 13,227]

yes I agree with Darnell. You need to plan at the NVC stage when you want your interview. If you need to hold off for a month or two, then do so. You do not get to pick it and rescheduling with Montreal is a huge pain. They don't do phone calls or emails, just an online form that takes 2 weeks to answer them about... and they're not very concise with their answers.

Also it's good to remember that you have 6 months from the medical date in which to enter the USA.