Montreal - Medical results processing time?

[zilchfox 296]

I wish I could say, but I know Dr. Cheema in Surrey has it done the next morning.

[pajobra 1,395]

On 5/31/2017 at 7:20 PM, LittleLeaf said:

I'm from Manitoba, so I feel your annoyance; I decided to bite the bullet and make a trip of it all in one go.

I just called the Montreal office to schedule my medical today. They are very helpful in making sure you book it in enough time to get your results for the interview, and do recommend a bare minimum of 3 business days to process (so as others have said, at least the Thursday before your interview). He quoted me a total with tax of $453 CAD (vax's if you require any are extra).

 

I also vouch for AirBnB, as they have decent looking rooms from $30 to however lavish per night you want to spend, and a good cancellation policy. If you sign up with a referral code you get $50 bucks off your first stay- shameless plug, but it is a good deal.

 

Hahaha I am from Manitoba and this is what I plan to do as well. It is pretty much the only option I will have when that time comes. I like your shameless plug.  Nothing wrong with that.

[Peot 161]

As an update, after listening to some of the feedback here, I've basically decided to fly out to Vancouver, take the train to Surrey, get the medical done (have them express it to me if they will) and then fly out to Montreal for the consulate appointment once I get the results.

 

Yes it's two flights and to two different parts of Canada. The reasoning is that even if I book AirBnB at a very low rate per night in Montreal, the travel and food expenses add up to about the same for a week's worth of waiting as it would cost me to just fly out to Vancouver and back in a day.... Trip to Vancouver is around $350. Trip to Montreal is around $450 from where I live. 

 

If I go AirBnB at $50 a night for 5 nights plus around $20 in food per day (that's probably cheaper than it would be), that's about $450. Hundred dollars cheaper to fly out to Surrey for the day in the best case scenario. I don't need to do the tourist thing

 

I also can't afford to take much time off from work at this point, so the 5+ days is probably out either way!

 

I know it might seem a bit crazy to jump around the country to save $100... but I can't be the only one annoyed by how we're over fee'd as it is. I'll do anything to save where I can, especially with moving costs coming up too. No sense spending an entire month's pay on getting some paperwork done. It seems ridiculous to me. And don't get me started on my rant about how the consulates in every major city should be able to do intake for k1 visa processing. It's not as though they can't afford it.

[pajobra 1,395]

On 6/5/2017 at 1:14 PM, Peot said:

As an update, after listening to some of the feedback here, I've basically decided to fly out to Vancouver, take the train to Surrey, get the medical done (have them express it to me if they will) and then fly out to Montreal for the consulate appointment once I get the results.

 

Yes it's two flights and to two different parts of Canada. The reasoning is that even if I book AirBnB at a very low rate per night in Montreal, the travel and food expenses add up to about the same for a week's worth of waiting as it would cost me to just fly out to Vancouver and back in a day.... Trip to Vancouver is around $350. Trip to Montreal is around $450 from where I live. 

 

If I go AirBnB at $50 a night for 5 nights plus around $20 in food per day (that's probably cheaper than it would be), that's about $450. Hundred dollars cheaper to fly out to Surrey for the day in the best case scenario. I don't need to do the tourist thing

 

I also can't afford to take much time off from work at this point, so the 5+ days is probably out either way!

 

I know it might seem a bit crazy to jump around the country to save $100... but I can't be the only one annoyed by how we're over fee'd as it is. I'll do anything to save where I can, especially with moving costs coming up too. No sense spending an entire month's pay on getting some paperwork done. It seems ridiculous to me. And don't get me started on my rant about how the consulates in every major city should be able to do intake for k1 visa processing. It's not as though they can't afford it.

I agree with you there or at least have a doctor in either Manitoba or Saskatchewan that can do the medical too.

[rj1990 13]

I decided to make a go of it to Montreal, and I ended up being here almost 2 weeks. I flew in on Wednesday for my medical on Thursday, then had my interview the following Wednesday, got my visa in hand on Friday, and booked my flight to the US for the following Monday. (June 7-19, total). 

 

I found an airbnb in Montreal for $20 per night and it was very comfortable - a simple room in an apartment with another girl, and I was able to buy groceries and cook so that helped with costs. The last minute flight for today was expensive ($200USD) but not that bad. Glad to have it all done in one go and grateful the processing after the interview was speedy. 

[Marzena & Stephen 544]

On 6/19/2017 at 8:06 AM, rj1990 said:

I decided to make a go of it to Montreal, and I ended up being here almost 2 weeks. I flew in on Wednesday for my medical on Thursday, then had my interview the following Wednesday, got my visa in hand on Friday, and booked my flight to the US for the following Monday. (June 7-19, total). 

 

I found an airbnb in Montreal for $20 per night and it was very comfortable - a simple room in an apartment with another girl, and I was able to buy groceries and cook so that helped with costs. The last minute flight for today was expensive ($200USD) but not that bad. Glad to have it all done in one go and grateful the processing after the interview was speedy. 

How long after your medical did you receive your results ?   congrats btw ! 

[rj1990 13]

18 minutes ago, Marzena & Stephen said:

How long after your medical did you receive your results ?   congrats btw ! 

I didn't go pick them up until the morning of my interview, since the buildings are quite close. I was told they would be ready Tuesday, but I didn't check or make an extra trip downtown to get them a day early. They don't contact you, they just tell you to call them no earlier than 3 business days after the appointment.  

[Marzena & Stephen 544]

26 minutes ago, rj1990 said:

I didn't go pick them up until the morning of my interview, since the buildings are quite close. I was told they would be ready Tuesday, but I didn't check or make an extra trip downtown to get them a day early. They don't contact you, they just tell you to call them no earlier than 3 business days after the appointment.  

Thank you for this information it will help when i book my week in montreal☺ much appreciated!

[LittleLeaf 38]

Just wanted to update since I had my medical at Medisys in Montreal June 28/29. They do recommend 3 business days to complete not including the day of your appointment. When I called they happily went over a recommended date so I would still get it in time for my interview, so just ask.

 

My package was ready in 2, but maybe they took pity on the fact that they split my appointment over 2 days since the doc was too busy on the date I had scheduled (months in advance, sigh). It was pretty banal and I def recommend bringing a book (different ppl take your blood, do the x-ray, do the vaccine walkthrough, on top of the doc, so there's lots of waiting). The appointment there takes about 2 hours so also make sure you have some food before going (mine was about 3.5). I also really don't see why more offices can't be qualified to do this sort of thing, its pretty straight forward, and they definitely make enough off of it. But anyhow.

[pajobra 1,395]

17 hours ago, LittleLeaf said:

Just wanted to update since I had my medical at Medisys in Montreal June 28/29. They do recommend 3 business days to complete not including the day of your appointment. When I called they happily went over a recommended date so I would still get it in time for my interview, so just ask.

 

My package was ready in 2, but maybe they took pity on the fact that they split my appointment over 2 days since the doc was too busy on the date I had scheduled (months in advance, sigh). It was pretty banal and I def recommend bringing a book (different ppl take your blood, do the x-ray, do the vaccine walkthrough, on top of the doc, so there's lots of waiting). The appointment there takes about 2 hours so also make sure you have some food before going (mine was about 3.5). I also really don't see why more offices can't be qualified to do this sort of thing, its pretty straight forward, and they definitely make enough off of it. But anyhow.

My doctor told me she was disgusted that they couldn't do them either. She said it would make things easier if they allowed family doctors to since they know the patients. I go for routine blood work next week for my doctor. She had to have a medical too when she came to canada and she laughed because it was basically what a regular doctor could do.

[Peot 161]

2 hours ago, pajobra said:

My doctor told me she was disgusted that they couldn't do them either. She said it would make things easier if they allowed family doctors to since they know the patients. I go for routine blood work next week for my doctor. She had to have a medical too when she came to canada and she laughed because it was basically what a regular doctor could do.

 

19 hours ago, LittleLeaf said:

I also really don't see why more offices can't be qualified to do this sort of thing, its pretty straight forward, and they definitely make enough off of it. But anyhow.

It's about quality control, likely. I assume they even have to take some kind of a course, get registered, or pay a fee of some kind to qualify. I don't think there's anything STOPPING a family doctor from getting registered, but there must be an expensive reason they don't.

 

If you had one hundred family doctors all doing the visa medicals sending in paperwork incorrectly, or doing the tests incorrectly, it would delay things exponentially though.... 

 

But as far as I can tell, yes, it's just a simple form they need to fill out once the medical is done, and it can't be that difficult for any doctor to do.

 

On that same train of thought, there's no reason that "any consulate" wouldn't be able to offer visas for immigration purposes and do the processing in-house. Requiring people to go to Montreal seems a bit silly when you have US consulates in Calgary, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto, Halfax, etc.. It's a silly system through and through.

[Lemonslice 4,963]

27 minutes ago, Peot said:

On that same train of thought, there's no reason that "any consulate" wouldn't be able to offer visas for immigration purposes and do the processing in-house. Requiring people to go to Montreal seems a bit silly when you have US consulates in Calgary, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto, Halfax, etc.. It's a silly system through and through.

Cost control is one big reason.  Same reason Canadian visa offices in the USA are now only available at the  New York and Los Angeles consulates (all types of visas).  I guess the minus of being in Canada is that the distances are going to be substantial, no matter which consulate they pick :/ 

 

Immigration authorities are aware that many doctors will agree to sign forms out of convience for their long term patients and that is why most countries have you use a designated medical doctor for your medical.