IR-1/CR-1 Montreal DQ'd private message group goes public

[Hawk Riders 814]

1 minute ago, Cath&Claire said:

Oh so you think we might see January dates tomorrow? 

Oh good gods no.

Those people are interviewing tomorrow!

[Cath&Claire 150]

2 minutes ago, Hawk Riders said:

Oh good gods no.

Those people are interviewing tomorrow!

Ahhhh ok! I saw SASS and got it mixed up with AMSAL, which is where the spreadsheet is at.  So glad people are finally having their interviews and can get to their families. 🤸‍♀️🥳  

                               

  I do hope the scheduling continues, soon!  🤞🏻

[Rose__ 303]

Hey y’all! Quick update on my SSN non-issue: the card came in quickly after I went to the office and applied in person. It does have the name I asked for on it, which is my married name.

We spent sooo much time reading on the forum about what name to put on the petition, and on the DS260, and how it was super important otherwise you’d have to wait 2-3 years in the US (until ROC or citizenship) to have the name corrected, etc... when actually you literally just ask the social security office to put the card in whatever name you want 🙃 🤷🏼‍♀️ Oh well! It worked out.

 

Good luck to tomorrow’s interviewees! 🙏🏻

[fjxs 133]

Sorry I took so long to post this, but here is my experience at the consulate. Hopefully still in time to be helpful to some of you with December interviews! My interview was on November 9th, and it was for myself and my 18-year-old son: 

 

Getting There: 

I left my phone & smart watch at the hotel, and then realized as soon as I left that I had no way of telling if I was on time or too early! If you are going to do this, I suggest also taking a printed map with street names on it – Montreal is FULL of construction detours, so it is quite possible you will have to detour at some point, even if you are just walking. And also make sure you write down the actual address – I almost didn't see the building and how to double back to find it! I knew what block it was on, but the entry to the consulate was fairly nondescript, so I almost missed it. (It is right between the RBC bank and a Pharmaprix.) 

 

Security: 

As others have said, you have to arrive just on time, and you go through airport-style security. We had to give our interview time, show our passports, and use hand sanitizer to be let in the door. I just brought my folder full of documents, a reusable tote bag to carry it in, a small bottle of hand sanitizer, and some tissues. I wasn't sure if I was allowed the sanitizer, but they said it was fine. (The website says no liquids, so that is why I asked.) They do have hand sanitizer upstairs in the waiting area, so you don't really need to bring it. But I was happy to have it to use right after fingerprints, etc. 

 

Documents: 

As soon as you go upstairs, you have to check in at one of the windows and give them your passports. If someone is already at the window, you just sit down and wait for them to leave, then go up. After checking in, we had to wait about 15 minutes to be called up to give them documents.

 

She called "last name family", so we both went up. The woman first asked who the petitioner was, then wanted both mine & my husbands (the petitioner) name, address, and phone number. She asked for the following documents (she did all of mine & my fingerprints first, then went through all of my son's & took his fingerprints):

- mine & my son's long form birth certificate 

- mine & my son's police certificate (we had the one that said "other", and it was accepted) 

- my marriage certificate

- one passport photo from each of us (which she scanned then returned) 

- she asked if I had any more recent financial info, so I gave her my husband's 2019 tax transcript

 

She only took original documents. Also worth noting - some of the documents had changed since I uploaded them with the DS-260 (my son's passport and the police certificates). I brought the old ones, but she didn't ask for them. I also had not uploaded the new ones beforehand. (I'm really not sure what the "correct" thing to do is, just reporting my own experience.) She then gave me the domestic abuse pamphlet, and we sat back down to wait to be called up for the interview. This part of the process took about 15 minutes. 

 

Interview: 

We waited around 20 minutes to be called for the interview. He only called my name, but my son came up with me and I asked if it was supposed to be just me or both of us. He said he could do us both together. We both took on oath and gave one hand of fingerprints again. For the questions, he asked me to tell him about my husband and our relationship, what my husband does, the longest I have stayed in the US, and when the last time I was there was. He then asked my son what he plans on doing after we move. My son seemed unsure how to answer (he's not really sure what his plans are!) so I just said that we had looked into colleges there and he will be able to get into the college nearby, but he's not sure what he wants to do yet. The interviewer seemed fine with that answer and said he remembers what it was like to be that age. Overall the whole thing felt more conversational than like being "interviewed".

 

He then gave back our birth certificates and the marriage certificate, gave me the Welcome to America letter, and told me that the visa entry date would be tied to the medical so I could enter up to 6 months after the medical. He asked if we had any questions, and that was it. The interview part probably took less than 10 minutes. Overall, we were in the consulate for about 1 hour total. 

[Stylereveal 38]

Does anyone know where to get records of your vaccinations as an adult in the Toronto area if you can’t find them? Or do you have to take the shoots again. 

[ONtoHOU 228]

1 hour ago, Stylereveal said:

Does anyone know where to get records of your vaccinations as an adult in the Toronto area if you can’t find them? Or do you have to take the shoots again. 

Speak with your family doctor or the public health unit in which you lived at the time of vaccination, they may have an electronic record of your vaccination history. If you do not have that, you can request your Doctor perform a titer test, which will check for antibodies generated from your childhood vaccinations to prove immunity. The results of a titer test would be accepted in lieu of a vaccination record by the panel (immigrations) physician. 

[NikLR 13,227]

33 minutes ago, wordsfromdani said:

Speak with your family doctor or the public health unit in which you lived at the time of vaccination, they may have an electronic record of your vaccination history. If you do not have that, you can request your Doctor perform a titer test, which will check for antibodies generated from your childhood vaccinations to prove immunity. The results of a titer test would be accepted in lieu of a vaccination record by the panel (immigrations) physician. 

This. My health unit did not have the 30 year old records but I had my titres done. Good thing since I needed a new MMR. 

[S&A47 64]

Approved! In at 8am and out by 8:40am

 

Documents asked for 

- passport

- original birth certificate

- original marriage certificate

- police report (mine said “other”)

- husbands 2019 W2 & Tax Return

- 1 photo (scanned & returned back) 

The lady asked if I had any changes to the original I-864 that was uploaded and I said no. She did not ask for the document. 

 

Interview Questions

- How did we meet

- If this is our first marriage

- If we have any kids

- When it the last time I seen my husband 

- How do we communicate since the border is closed

 

After 23 months it’s finally over. 🙌🏽

 

[Dbrennan 121]

Hi everyone!! Just wanted to post about my interview this morning!

I stayed at Novotel, about a five minute walk to the consulate. I got to the consulate a few minutes before 7:55 and was let in one at a time with the other 8:00 applicants by the security guard. I just had my document folder, my jacket and a few cards in my pocket that all went through the scanner. I went up the elevator and waited a few minutes to do the first part of the interview with the documents. I was asked for my passport, original birth certificate and marriage certificate, my affidavit of support, and one of my two passport photos. I took a few minutes longer at this stage than the others there because my husband and I recently bought a house and the employee was having a hard time finding our new address (it is pretty hard to hear each other through both the glass and now also masks), and he also couldn’t find my medical results (sent electronically by cheemas office) so he was talking to another employee about it. The first stage probably was about 10-15 mins for me, and then I sat down and waited to be called up for the interview portion. The woman was sooooo nice that I got to speak to, she just asked me basic questions like my husbands name, how did we meet, what does he do for work, what’s the longest I’ve stayed in the states. One thing I would recommend bringing that could be helpful is a previous passport if you’ve changed your name. When she asked me about my longest stay I told her about the gap year program I was in (where I met my husband) and she wanted to know what type of visa I entered the country on so I’m definitely happy I ended up bringing the old passport with me. The interview ended with her telling me I was technically refused because my medical had not been received yet (I received an email from cheemas office a few days ago saying it was electronically sent but the interviewer said it can take a couple of days to show up in the consulates system), but I will be approved when they receive the medical results! She still ended up giving me the sheet for tracking the visa and she said she thinks it won’t take too long and she kept my passport as well, so I’ve just been telling friends and family I’m “unofficially approved” haha. Walked back to my hotel and called my husband at 9:11 am so I was basically there for an hour! If anybody has any questions feel free to message me!!

 

edit: forgot to mention I was also asked for my police certificate! 

Edited December 2, 2020 by Dbrennan

[Stylereveal 38]

2 hours ago, wordsfromdani said:

Speak with your family doctor or the public health unit in which you lived at the time of vaccination, they may have an electronic record of your vaccination history. If you do not have that, you can request your Doctor perform a titer test, which will check for antibodies generated from your childhood vaccinations to prove immunity. The results of a titer test would be accepted in lieu of a vaccination record by the panel (immigrations) physician. 

Thank you 

2 hours ago, NikLR said:

This. My health unit did not have the 30 year old records but I had my titres done. Good thing since I needed a new MMR. 

Thank you

[SASAS 122]

Approved🥳🥳🥳🥳

 

My husbands appt was at 10:15 and we got there at 10:11. 

Security check and then my husband handed his passport and waited 40 min to go up to the window to give his original documents.

They asked for his birth certificate, marriage certificate, police clearances, work permit (my husband is a temporary worker). The police clearance with “other” was accepted. 

 

After another 10-15 min, he was called up to the window for his interview. 

He was asked: how did we meet, describe your relationship before the wedding, when was the wedding, how many people  attended the wedding, have you been to the US, what I did for a living, where he will be staying once he moves back and status in Canada. My husband lived in the US before so he was asked what he studied and specialized in. 

At the end he was told that the visa was approved. 🥳

 

Also, as an aside: the security guy was really nice. He came out and spoke to me very kindly because I was standing outside.

 

we stayed at the residence inn Montreal downtown. Less than a 5 min walk to the consulate.

there is an aritzia across the street and the second floor looks into the consulate. So I shopped and glanced over a few times 😬
 

sorry I think the font is big. I copied from

notes.

Edited December 2, 2020 by SASAS

[Lovepeace0303 310]

55 minutes ago, Stylereveal said:

Thank you 

Thank you

My husband had to do a blood test to check for immunity since he didn't have any vaccine records. His family doctor was able to complete that test (got results in 7 days from the lab) and they administered the vaccines he needed. He ended up having to get ALL of the required ones. I would highly recommend to get this done with your family doctor to help save you some money. My husband just had to pay for one of the vaccines out of pocket. I'm SO glad we got it done earlier with his family doctor, because turns out that Dr. Zatzman does not administer the vaccines in the first place. I've also heard the medical doctors that do administer them charge quite a bit for each vaccine. During the medical appt, my husband brought his new immunization record card his family doctor provided showing all the completed vaccines and was accepted. 

 

 

[pooj97 89]

2 hours ago, Dbrennan said:

Hi everyone!! Just wanted to post about my interview this morning!

I stayed at Novotel, about a five minute walk to the consulate. I got to the consulate a few minutes before 7:55 and was let in one at a time with the other 8:00 applicants by the security guard. I just had my document folder, my jacket and a few cards in my pocket that all went through the scanner. I went up the elevator and waited a few minutes to do the first part of the interview with the documents. I was asked for my passport, original birth certificate and marriage certificate, my affidavit of support, and one of my two passport photos. I took a few minutes longer at this stage than the others there because my husband and I recently bought a house and the employee was having a hard time finding our new address (it is pretty hard to hear each other through both the glass and now also masks), and he also couldn’t find my medical results (sent electronically by cheemas office) so he was talking to another employee about it. The first stage probably was about 10-15 mins for me, and then I sat down and waited to be called up for the interview portion. The woman was sooooo nice that I got to speak to, she just asked me basic questions like my husbands name, how did we meet, what does he do for work, what’s the longest I’ve stayed in the states. One thing I would recommend bringing that could be helpful is a previous passport if you’ve changed your name. When she asked me about my longest stay I told her about the gap year program I was in (where I met my husband) and she wanted to know what type of visa I entered the country on so I’m definitely happy I ended up bringing the old passport with me. The interview ended with her telling me I was technically refused because my medical had not been received yet (I received an email from cheemas office a few days ago saying it was electronically sent but the interviewer said it can take a couple of days to show up in the consulates system), but I will be approved when they receive the medical results! She still ended up giving me the sheet for tracking the visa and she said she thinks it won’t take too long and she kept my passport as well, so I’ve just been telling friends and family I’m “unofficially approved” haha. Walked back to my hotel and called my husband at 9:11 am so I was basically there for an hour! If anybody has any questions feel free to message me!!

 

edit: forgot to mention I was also asked for my police certificate! 

Hey! Regarding the gap year question, was that on a J1 visa? I’m wondering because my fiancé will be having his interview hopefully soon and I wanted to know if Montreal asks about the J1 at all

[Dbrennan 121]

5 minutes ago, pooj97 said:

Hey! Regarding the gap year question, was that on a J1 visa? I’m wondering because my fiancé will be having his interview hopefully soon and I wanted to know if Montreal asks about the J1 at all

It was on two B1 visas! I was in my program from September to December, went home for Christmas, then went back from January to June. I think she just wanted to make sure it was just a normal B1 visa 

[Kimchi 190]

Approved! 
I will post more details later.