Dressing for the interview

[Chicken_Little 0]

For those of you who have had interviews at Montreal, particularly the CR-1/IR-1, how dressed up were you for the interview? Are suits for men out of place? I plan to wear something conservative, either a suit or dress pants, a blouse and maybe a cardigan. For my husband we're thinking either suit or just shirt and tie, but aren't sure.

Is it true that the better you're dressed, the more serious they tend to take you? I know that I feel better and more confident when I look very put-together, and just want to make sure they won't think us mental or that we won't look out of place if my husband is in a suit and I'm dressed in business attire.

Also, for CR-1 and IR-1ers: we paid our $380 to the NVC, so do we have to pay anything else at the interview? How can we prove we've paid? To the best of my knowledge they never sent us a reciept or anything when we paid that. I just don't want to get suckered into paying a fee twice.

[Cassie 8]

Although I was a "mere" K-1 ( ), I went wearing a nice sweater and jeans. I saw everything there from casual dress to full out fancy schmancy.

My opinion? Wear something comfortable, because you could be sitting for a while. Be neat, clean, and well put together.

[evilcanuck 0]

K-1 here...my son and i dressed casual....i think we think too much like its going to be a 'job interview' or a formal interview setting, when really you are just at a couple of wickets being asked a few questions....not much different than going to the bank lol. The lady that first took care of my son and i, made sure we had all our documents and stuff, i think we signed a few things etc, was super nice, she made us so comfortable...and yes, it will cost you...well it cost us $100 each, which we had to pay after seeing her then wait for the actual interview part which was in a tiny room where we were seperated by glass ....kinda like visiting someone in jail hahahaha. they scanned our fingertips, took a pic and we were on our way. It was a friday so we left and had them mail the visas, i think we could have had them on mondy, they dont have next day service for saturday...anyways it is super simple. just remember to bring $100 for each person and when u check in they do a thorough search of you so its best to leave anything electronic (camera cell phone remote car starter etc) in your car or hotel room, also anything sharp (they took my tweezers out of my purse and my sons chain off his wallet)

good luck

its really really easy...relax I 'believe' the $100 was the visa fee...it wasnt mentioned in any of the literature that i got prior to the interview tha i can recall....but it was legit.

Edited March 13, 2006 by evilcanuck

[Dusy 0]

I just wore what I would wear for work. Nothing fancy. As for the $100 fee, I don't think you have to pay that for a CR-1, but I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

Good Luck with your interview. I think you are going through Montreal. They are very nice there.

[Flames9_RN 358]

I was a cr-1, I didnt pay any more $$ at the interview, but that was back in Dec 2004. I dressed casual, nice pair of trousers and a collared shirt. For the msot part everyone was dressed casual, few men wore suits. Wear something comfortable. best of luck

[Mr&Mrs2859 0]

My husband wore nice casual pants and a collared short sleeved shirt looked comfy but not overdressed and shaved nicely so he didnt look like a bum

[Chicken_Little 0]

Although I was a "mere" K-1 ( ), I went wearing a nice sweater and jeans. I saw everything there from casual dress to full out fancy schmancy.

My opinion? Wear something comfortable, because you could be sitting for a while. Be neat, clean, and well put together.

LOL I just specified which visa cuz I wasn't sure if maybe we were kept in different "holding pens" So are all us would-be US immigrants kept in one big holding pen? I know, I make us sound like animals, but I have to say, what with the physical, fees, registry number, etc, I kind of FEEL like they think we ARE animals!

Thanks for all the replies so far everyone!

[Flames9_RN 358]

Your all one in one big room. There will be people there for other type of visas as well. In the middle of the Room, hanging from the roof, is a big screen that wil lhave your ticket #. Everytime it brings up a new ticket #, it beeps!! So like a good monkey, every time it beeps, you will look up to see if its your #! By the # is what window to go to!! So lets practice this: BEEP. --your head should now look up!! Not fast enough, try again BEEP......

The room where everyone waits is not anything fancy. Just a room filled with chairs, and in front of you are the wicket windows. Best of luck

[Reba 2]

I wore funky baggy pants and a t-shirt, and I am sure I looked like a complete grub. I'd spent the night at the youth hostel and of course hadn't slept a wink. then the walk from the hostel to the consulate early in the morning didn't help!

I'm sure they don't care what you're wearing, as long as your paperwork is in order.

[A-PhiJill 0]

Dave wore a pair of slacks and a nice button down shirt. He didn't have to pay anything extra but he brought the cash just in case

[Marilyn. 340]

I just wore jeans and a nice shirt... ... it is best to be comfortable but nice looking, I think

and I am pretty sure for CR1's you don't have to pay anything at the interview..... I had to back in March last year but I am pretty sure that fee is now combined with the fees from the NVC...... you could always email the consulate and find out for sure

[caviar22 1]

Casual, comfy and clean ... and CR1s do not pay extra $

Don't sweat it... someone said it was like going to the bank... pretty much is just like that!

John and I opened our first joint account last week and the woman made me sign a form that said I was a "foreign alien non-resident"!!! I was so ticked off!!! That is so wrong! She refused to accept my temporary SSN even though the forms said I could. So now I have to go back to the bank when I get my real SSN... I preferred my interview at the Montreal Consulate! how freaky is that!!!