CR-1 Visa Interview in MTL - Review

[Deric&Alicia 11]

Here’s a review of my CR-1 Visa Interview in Montreal from Tuesday, Feb 18th. Appt scheduled for 8:30AM. 

 

I got to the embassy at 8:30AM and the security guard let me in. Lady at a podium just took my passport (didn’t even look at my interview letter) and scrolled through her little tablet. Then gave me my passport back with a sticker on the back of it. And handed me 2 slips of paper with the same number I 517. This is the number they will call you with as you get called up twice. I put my little bag with my binder and things in it and also my jacket on the conveyer belt. They ask you to empty out your pockets including the jacket pockets. 

I stepped through the security gate and the security guard manually went through my bag then let me go. You take the elevator up just 1 floor. (They have everything clearly labeled in the elevator). 

 

Once upstairs, there’s a fairly large waiting room, but it gets pretty full. There’s a tv on the wall beside the elevator. This tv will ring every time a new number is called and will show which window to go to. There are 12 windows total, but I think 1-5 are the only ones doing the immigrant visas. I might be wrong. I took a seat around 8:40AM.

 

Few things to note in the waiting area: no food allowed (there was a sign). There are water fountains and washrooms. Also there was this one female security guard who was very strict about people sitting. Also there was 2 young teens with their parents, and the 2 teens were sleeping against each other’s shoulders. And that female security guard came over and clapped her hands in front of their faces really loud. And said you’re not allowed to sleep here, you need to watch for your number. The mom told the guard they were together, but she didn’t care lol poor kids. 

 

Waited about an hour until I was called up to a window. They took my number slip. The man took the following: 

• Passport 
• Med package 
• 1 photo
• Birth cert 
• Marriage cert (short form)
• Police check

 

He opened the med package, took the papers and gave me the cd back (I think it’s my X-ray). When he asked for my marriage cert, he told me to give him the one I submitted online. I explained that the website says to submit the long form which I did, but it was rejected, and I just wrote a note saying I’d bring the right one to the interview. I showed him both through the glass window and it seemed like he wasn’t even sure which one to take. Then I pointed to the long form and said this is the one we tried submitting. And then he pointed to the short form and told me to just give that one. 

 

Then he confirmed my Canadian address, which I had to update verbally. (Even though I called NVC to tell them of my new address and the new address was on my interview letter, they still had my old cdn address on their computer.) Then he asked about my US address, which I also updated verbally. Then I did some fingerprinting and he gave me the domestic violence pamphlet. And he said they’d call me up again. 

 

I waited about another hour before they called me up again through the tv screen. This time it was a lady who was a bit more friendly. She made me raise my right hand and take an oath that I would tell the truth, then fingerprinted to confirm the oath.

She asked the following: 

• How did we meet? When? 
• How long have we dated?
• What does your husband do? 
• Where do I plan to live? 
• First marriage for both? Any Kids? 
• Have I been arrested? 
• Have I been in the US for longer than 6 months?
• Have I travelled outside of canada/us in the past 6 years? 
• Have I ever been to China? 
• Do I plan to go to China?

Then she said everything looks good and that I should get my passport back in 1-2 weeks. She gave me the Welcome to the US paper and highlighted the site to track my passport. 

 

I think I was out around 10:45AM. So about 2 hours 15 mins total. 

 

I’m a bit surprised that they didn’t ask for any of the additional docs I brought. My husband started a new job since we submitted. So I had a new I-864EZ, his 2019 W2s, offer letter, and latest pay stub. But I didn’t give any of it.. I’ll bring them to the POE just in case. But everything seems in the clear so far. 
 

The visa status on CEAC tracker showed issued by 9pm same day. 

[ice-qube 649]

21 hours ago, Deric&Alicia said:

When he asked for my marriage cert, he told me to give him the one I submitted online. I explained that the website says to submit the long form which I did, but it was rejected, and I just wrote a note saying I’d bring the right one to the interview. I showed him both through the glass window and it seemed like he wasn’t even sure which one to take. Then I pointed to the long form and said this is the one we tried submitting. And then he pointed to the short form and told me to just give that one. 

Good review--but I didn't know that there was a long form and short form marriage certificate... is this in every province?

[Deric&Alicia 11]

8 minutes ago, ice-qube said:

Good review--but I didn't know that there was a long form and short form marriage certificate... is this in every province?

I was married in Ontario. When you order the certificate online, it gives you 2 options short form or certified copy of registration (long form). The website clearly stated long form must be submitted and that short form would not be accepted. But the opposite was the case. 

[ice-qube 649]

Just now, Deric&Alicia said:

I was married in Ontario. When you order the certificate online, it gives you 2 options short form or certified copy of registration (long form). The website clearly stated long form must be submitted and that short form would not be accepted. But the opposite was the case. 

So when you submitted online, you submitted the long form? But then they subsequently came back with "unacceptable"?

[Deric&Alicia 11]

8 minutes ago, ice-qube said:

So when you submitted online, you submitted the long form? But then they subsequently came back with "unacceptable"?

My first submission of birth certificate and marriage certificate (Long form) was rejected. Thought it was formatting. My first submission was just the front page of each doc. In my second submission, I scanned both the front and back page of each document. So each doc was 2 pages (2nd page being the back of the paper and it was just blank). They accepted the birth certificate, but rejected the marriage certificate (long form). 
 

we then called the NVC phone line and the rep told us to just type in a note in the comments section saying we would bring the correct certificate to the interview. which we did. And I got DQ about a month later. In the meantime, I ordered the short form marriage cert. I brought both short and long forms to the interview. 

[ice-qube 649]

Just now, Deric&Alicia said:

My first submission of birth certificate and marriage certificate (Long form) was rejected. Thought it was formatting. My first submission was just the front page of each doc. In my second submission, I scanned both the front and back page of each document. So each doc was 2 pages (2nd page being the back of the paper and it was just blank). They accepted the birth certificate, but rejected the marriage certificate (long form). 
 

we then called the NVC phone line and the rep told us to just type in a note in the comments section saying we would bring the correct certificate to the interview. which we did. And I got DQ about a month later. In the meantime, I ordered the short form marriage cert. I brought both short and long forms to the interview. 

It seems bizarre, as the long form obviously provides them with more information, correct?

[ice-qube 649]

16 minutes ago, Deric&Alicia said:

 

we then called the NVC phone line and the rep told us to just type in a note in the comments section saying we would bring the correct certificate to the interview. which we did. And I got DQ about a month later. In the meantime, I ordered the short form marriage cert. I brought both short and long forms to the interview. 

I can't find the option for short/long on the Ontario government's website at https://www.ontario.ca/page/how-get-copy-ontario-marriage-certificate-online

 

How did you order that?

[Deric&Alicia 11]

On 2/20/2020 at 8:21 PM, ice-qube said:

I can't find the option for short/long on the Ontario government's website at https://www.ontario.ca/page/how-get-copy-ontario-marriage-certificate-online

 

How did you order that?

Following that link, if you order online, after entering all your info, it will ask you to select what marriage document you want to order. It gives you two options (see attached photo). “Marriage cert (file size)” and “certified copy of registration (long form).”
 

on this link: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant-visa-process/step-5-collect-financial-evidence-and-other-supporting-documents/step-7-collect-civil-documents.html if you click the document finder link, select Canada and scroll down to marriage certs, it explains the diff types you can get across canada. Ontario only offers the file size marriage cert and a certified copy of registration. scroll down to Ontario and it says “you should obtain “large” certificates or certified copies of a registration”

 

at the time I interpreted it as them referring to the same doc that may be called a large cert or certified copy. reading it now, I see they were referring to 2 diff docs: 1) large cert 2) certified copy. Either way, both docs offered on the service Ontario website should have been acceptable. Since the cert copy had more information as per both the us gov website and the serviceontario description, I opted for the certified copy (long form) as service Ontario Calls it. 
 

the certified copy of registration (long form) turns out to be the marriage license filled out in full. It is the license but the bottom portion of the doc shows extensive info of the actual marriage (parents of married, officiant info, witness signatures, etc).
 

I think some officers/NVC people see the certified copy doc and read marriage license on the docs top right corner and assume it’s the wrong doc. Not reading the actual doc and not realizing there is valid marriage info on the bottom part of the doc. The marriage cert (file size) looks like a traditional marriage certificate. It is very simple, names, date and city of marriage and signature of officiant I think.  
 

from what I’m hearing from others, most people have been submitting the file size marriage cert. so I think they like that better since it looks like a certificate. However, I did hear of one person who had their interview 1 week before mine and they had submitted the certified copy (long form), was accepted by NVC and at their interview handed that doc over to the interviewer with no problems. 
 

based on the gov website, they should accept both. But I’d get the file size as that one seems to not cause any trouble.