Montreal embassy EB-2 interview wait time

[Blueeyes1989 90]

Hi @era101 and @kachab. How did your interview go? 

[era101 9]

21 minutes ago, Blueeyes1989 said:

Hi @era101 and @kachab. How did your interview go? 

Unfortunately, I couldn't make it to the interview today 😕 my daughter has to quarantine for 14 days after coming back from international travel and she isn't fully vaccinated. 

[Blueeyes1989 90]

Let us know when you are able to get it rescheduled. Thanks

[kachab 30]

3 hours ago, Blueeyes1989 said:

Hi @era101 and @kachab. How did your interview go? 

I went to the interview this morning as planned. I am approved!! Woohoo!  

 

I got there about 15 minutes before my interview time. They made me wait outside about 5 minutes before going in to get through security screening. I then had to go upstairs and wait for my number to be called, which took about 5 minutes. 

 

The officer initially asked for my interview letter, passport, original birth certificate, passport photos, original police certificates and letter from my employer. He took my fingerprints and asked me a few trivial questions:

- Did you self-petition? (No, my employer did)

- Where did you live before moving to the US? He asked this since I have been working in the US for the past 10 years. 

- What visa are you currently on? 

- Were you on other types of visas before that? 

- What kind of job are you going to do after entering the US as permanent resident?

- What is your marital status?

 

 

I then had to go back and wait for about 45-50 minutes until got called to another counter to see another officer. I had to make and oath that I was telling the truth and he asked me a few other questions:

- Again, what kind of job I would be doing in the US.

- Where did you do your studies?

- How long was you longest stay in the US?

- Again, questions about my current visa and the ones I have been on since moving to the US. 

- Have you overstayed any of your visas?

- Have you committed any crime?

 

He made me sign a document confirming that I have the intention of performing the job for which I have an offer for my EB and took fingerprints again. He then told me that he would approve my visa and send it to get printed. I should have my passport back in 2-3 weeks, maybe less. 

 

I was about an hour total inside the consulate. 

 

Basically, if you have all the documents they are asking for in the list in the interview letter, have your medical sent on time and your answers match what is in your job description used for your green card application and the various questions in the DS-260 that was submitted, there shouldn't be anything to worry about. Both officers I saw were quite friendly and the interview feels more like a formality to wrap up the application. 

 

In a way it is very nice that the visa is approved and I can now move on, but it is also frustrating to think that they made me wait more than 2 years for such a simple and trivial interview!! 

 

I hope things get moving faster soon for EB's and you don't have to wait that long to finally get done and over with this long and frustrating process! 

 

 

 

 

[204 59]

10 minutes ago, kachab said:

I went to the interview this morning as planned. I am approved!! Woohoo!  

 

I got there about 15 minutes before my interview time. They made me wait outside about 5 minutes before going in to get through security screening. I then had to go upstairs and wait for my number to be called, which took about 5 minutes. 

 

The officer initially asked for my interview letter, passport, original birth certificate, passport photos, original police certificates and letter from my employer. He took my fingerprints and asked me a few trivial questions:

- Did you self-petition? (No, my employer did)

- Where did you live before moving to the US? He asked this since I have been working in the US for the past 10 years. 

- What visa are you currently on? 

- Were you on other types of visas before that? 

- What kind of job are you going to do after entering the US as permanent resident?

- What is your marital status?

 

 

I then had to go back and wait for about 45-50 minutes until got called to another counter to see another officer. I had to make and oath that I was telling the truth and he asked me a few other questions:

- Again, what kind of job I would be doing in the US.

- Where did you do your studies?

- How long was you longest stay in the US?

- Again, questions about my current visa and the ones I have been on since moving to the US. 

- Have you overstayed any of your visas?

- Have you committed any crime?

 

He made me sign a document confirming that I have the intention of performing the job for which I have an offer for my EB and took fingerprints again. He then told me that he would approve my visa and send it to get printed. I should have my passport back in 2-3 weeks, maybe less. 

 

I was about an hour total inside the consulate. 

 

Basically, if you have all the documents they are asking for in the list in the interview letter, have your medical sent on time and your answers match what is in your job description used for your green card application and the various questions in the DS-260 that was submitted, there shouldn't be anything to worry about. Both officers I saw were quite friendly and the interview feels more like a formality to wrap up the application. 

 

In a way it is very nice that the visa is approved and I can now move on, but it is also frustrating to think that they made me wait more than 2 years for such a simple and trivial interview!! 

 

I hope things get moving faster soon for EB's and you don't have to wait that long to finally get done and over with this long and frustrating process! 

 

 

 

 

Congrats!!! 
 

Thank you for taking time to share your experience! 

Edited January 19, 2022 by 204

[VA21202 109]

22 minutes ago, kachab said:

I went to the interview this morning as planned. I am approved!! Woohoo!  

 

Yaay! Amazing! Congratulations on a well deserved approval, finally! Appreciate if you can share some details around the medicals (which Doctor you went to/timelines to get appointment etc) That will be super helpful, thanks for the detailed write up!

Edited January 19, 2022 by VA21202

[topman 42]

1 hour ago, kachab said:

I went to the interview this morning as planned. I am approved!! Woohoo!  

 

I got there about 15 minutes before my interview time. They made me wait outside about 5 minutes before going in to get through security screening. I then had to go upstairs and wait for my number to be called, which took about 5 minutes. 

 

The officer initially asked for my interview letter, passport, original birth certificate, passport photos, original police certificates and letter from my employer. He took my fingerprints and asked me a few trivial questions:

- Did you self-petition? (No, my employer did)

- Where did you live before moving to the US? He asked this since I have been working in the US for the past 10 years. 

- What visa are you currently on? 

- Were you on other types of visas before that? 

- What kind of job are you going to do after entering the US as permanent resident?

- What is your marital status?

 

 

I then had to go back and wait for about 45-50 minutes until got called to another counter to see another officer. I had to make and oath that I was telling the truth and he asked me a few other questions:

- Again, what kind of job I would be doing in the US.

- Where did you do your studies?

- How long was you longest stay in the US?

- Again, questions about my current visa and the ones I have been on since moving to the US. 

- Have you overstayed any of your visas?

- Have you committed any crime?

 

He made me sign a document confirming that I have the intention of performing the job for which I have an offer for my EB and took fingerprints again. He then told me that he would approve my visa and send it to get printed. I should have my passport back in 2-3 weeks, maybe less. 

 

I was about an hour total inside the consulate. 

 

Basically, if you have all the documents they are asking for in the list in the interview letter, have your medical sent on time and your answers match what is in your job description used for your green card application and the various questions in the DS-260 that was submitted, there shouldn't be anything to worry about. Both officers I saw were quite friendly and the interview feels more like a formality to wrap up the application. 

 

In a way it is very nice that the visa is approved and I can now move on, but it is also frustrating to think that they made me wait more than 2 years for such a simple and trivial interview!! 

 

I hope things get moving faster soon for EB's and you don't have to wait that long to finally get done and over with this long and frustrating process! 

 

 

 

 

Congratulations on your approval. Wishing you all the success as a new soon to be green card holder. 

 

Thanks for sharing your detailed interview experience. It's seems like you were asked couple of times, "what is your current visa status?"

 

I'm confused by this question. Are they asking about your current visa status in Canada or are they asking for your current visa status in US? After moving out of US, in some cases there won't be a valid current visa status, assuming H1 or other visa categories have expired or maxed out. Can you please shed some light on this questioning?

 

 

[Blueeyes1989 90]

@204 Please update your timeline here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14yZKxht6igwJPXPU0EehKmmN2hx1g3EchEuB5G0yNO4/edit#gid=0

[204 59]

20 minutes ago, Blueeyes1989 said:

@204 Please update your timeline here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14yZKxht6igwJPXPU0EehKmmN2hx1g3EchEuB5G0yNO4/edit#gid=0

Sorry, I changed my user name to 204, previously with the name of andy@wpg. I’m a F2B applicant, DQed on Aug. 28, 2020, PD Jun. 16, 2015. 
 

I believe FB & EB applicants have been “bundled” together based on Tired Visa Prioritization System even though the NVC website stated it’s been rescinded. That’s why I’ve participating at this thread. 

[kachab 30]

15 hours ago, VA21202 said:

Yaay! Amazing! Congratulations on a well deserved approval, finally! Appreciate if you can share some details around the medicals (which Doctor you went to/timelines to get appointment etc) That will be super helpful, thanks for the detailed write up!

I had my medical at Telus Sante in Montreal. (Fyi, in the link they send with the interview letter with the list of approved physicians, they are called Medisys (old name) and the address is wrong - they have moved since then - but the phone number is correct. This is the number I called to book the appointment). 

 

As soon as I got the interview letter, I called to book the appointment. The lady I spoke to asked me my interview date and she told me that last time she checked the schedule, they were fully booked until that date. However, she checked again and someone had cancelled and I could get an appointment on Tuesday Jan 4th with Dr Lapointe. They apparently do medicals for US immigration only on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The fact that they were closed one week for the Holidays and that the IL's were sent to IR/CR about 1-2 weeks before us, did not help in terms of availability for getting a medical. It may be easier to get an appointment at other times of the year, but it is certainly something to book asap in any case. 

 

The medical itself is quite straightforward. It lasted about 2 hours total. To check in, they need your passport, interview letter, vaccination records and 5 passport-size photographs (US format). They then give you a form to fill out regarding your medical history. I was then called to get an x-ray of the lungs and then sent back to wait. I then had the medical with Dr Lapointe who is basically just asking you if you've had some specific diseases in the past (TB, syphillis and 3 others I can't remember), if you've had a history of severe mental illness (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, substance abuse, including DUI, etc) and if you have other severe conditions that may potentially require you to have prolonged treatment in the US. He then just auscultates you and that's it. I then went back to wait and was then called to do a visual exam (the typical thing where you read letters on a board pinned on the wall - you can do it with glasses/contacts if you typically wear some) and they took my weight and height. I then went back to wait until I got called to meet with the nurse who took a blood sample and reviewed my vaccination history. If you need any vaccine, she would administer them. I think that for Covid, you need to have both doses for the physician to sign off on the medical, one dose is not sufficient. Depending on what you answer in the health history questionnaire, it seems they may also ask for a urine test. When I booked my appointment, the lady told me it would cost about $590, but it ended costing less since I did not need the urine test and extra vaccines. 

 

They told me that they typically send the medical electronically to the consulate within 5 working days, but they emailed me 48 hours later to tell me that it was already sent. 

 

 

[VA21202 109]

6 minutes ago, kachab said:

I had my medical at Telus Sante in Montreal.

Awesome, thanks so much for the details! Really appreciate it and hope to follow the same when the time comes. Cheers!

Edited January 20, 2022 by VA21202

[kachab 30]

14 hours ago, topman said:

Congratulations on your approval. Wishing you all the success as a new soon to be green card holder. 

 

Thanks for sharing your detailed interview experience. It's seems like you were asked couple of times, "what is your current visa status?"

 

I'm confused by this question. Are they asking about your current visa status in Canada or are they asking for your current visa status in US? After moving out of US, in some cases there won't be a valid current visa status, assuming H1 or other visa categories have expired or maxed out. Can you please shed some light on this questioning?

 

 

They were referring to the works visas I've been working on in the US for the past 10 years, not Canadian visas (I am Canadian). I had to go with Consular Processing instead of Adjustment of Status because it is apparently the safest route when you are on TN visa (which doesn't have dual intent, contrarily to H-1b).  

 

I think the main reason why they were focused on this is because if I was answering something regarding my past US visas that did not match what they had on file (they ask questions for which they know the answers..!!  ), that would raise a red flag that I may have fraudulently obtained a US visa in the past and that would be a reason to deny the green card. Also, when he asked if I had ever overstayed a visa, that would also be a serious offence and lead to a green card denial. 

 

You are correct, when you enter the US with the EB visa, you will then be considered a permanent resident in the US and that will nullify any US work visa you were on (if you are already employed in the US). You will just be working legally as a permanent resident, no work visa required anymore. 

 

During the whole interview, they ask questions they already have the answers for on their screen (US visa history, answers you gave on the DS-260, work description, etc) and when you start answering and they see it matches what they have, they stop listening while you are in the middle of your sentence!  No need to get into lengthy explanations, better just keep it direct, short and simple! 

15 minutes ago, VA21202 said:

Awesome, thanks so much for the details! Really appreciate it and hope to follow the same when the time comes. Cheers!

Good luck! Hope you time comes very soon!  

[topman 42]

1 hour ago, kachab said:

They were referring to the works visas I've been working on in the US for the past 10 years, not Canadian visas (I am Canadian). I had to go with Consular Processing instead of Adjustment of Status because it is apparently the safest route when you are on TN visa (which doesn't have dual intent, contrarily to H-1b).  

 

I think the main reason why they were focused on this is because if I was answering something regarding my past US visas that did not match what they had on file (they ask questions for which they know the answers..!!  ), that would raise a red flag that I may have fraudulently obtained a US visa in the past and that would be a reason to deny the green card. Also, when he asked if I had ever overstayed a visa, that would also be a serious offence and lead to a green card denial. 

 

You are correct, when you enter the US with the EB visa, you will then be considered a permanent resident in the US and that will nullify any US work visa you were on (if you are already employed in the US). You will just be working legally as a permanent resident, no work visa required anymore. 

 

During the whole interview, they ask questions they already have the answers for on their screen (US visa history, answers you gave on the DS-260, work description, etc) and when you start answering and they see it matches what they have, they stop listening while you are in the middle of your sentence!  No need to get into lengthy explanations, better just keep it direct, short and simple! 

Good luck! Hope you time comes very soon!  

Thanks, that makes sense now. Appreciate your detailed response. All the best.. happy moving!

[kachab 30]

I've just received the tracking info for my passport! Based on the email, I will get it in 1 or 2 business days. That's very quick!  It's clearly not the same person who's printing the visa and the one who's booking the interviews....  

[Stephenc111 30]

10 minutes ago, kachab said:

I've just received the tracking info for my passport! Based on the email, I will get it in 1 or 2 business days. That's very quick!  It's clearly not the same person who's printing the visa and the one who's booking the interviews....  

Congrats！

 

what was your interview date?