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

[burmel 34]

I had my Visa Interview in Montreal this morning.  I'll write a full review in a day or two but in the meantime I would like some advice.  All went well until the actual interview portion.  I was put in AP because of a Covid Border incident.  My American Citizen wife was turned back at the Canadian Border on March 22, 2020.  I had to drive her back over the Ambassador Bridge at the Detroit/Windsor crossing.  The US authorities got her a taxi to the Detroit Airport and we were separated for 4 months.  The US Officials asked me a bunch of questions and fingerprinted me.  When I asked what was going on they said, just procedure.  This morning, at the interview the Consular Officer said she had to put me in AP until she determined if I was Refused Entry or had just voluntarily withdrawn my request to enter the US.  She said she had means to check but no time to check during the interview.  She kept my Passport as she felt she could resolve the issue in short order.  That was at 10:00 this am.  This afternoon, when I checked the ais.usvisa-info.com site it says "Issued".  Do you think it could be resolved that quickly ?  What are the stages following the interview ?  I have seen several such a Issued, Final Processing, etc.  I have also seen these flip.  Any advice ?  Thanks.

[burmel 34]

18 minutes ago, burmel said:

I had my Visa Interview in Montreal this morning.  I'll write a full review in a day or two but in the meantime I would like some advice.  All went well until the actual interview portion.  I was put in AP because of a Covid Border incident.  My American Citizen wife was turned back at the Canadian Border on March 22, 2020.  I had to drive her back over the Ambassador Bridge at the Detroit/Windsor crossing.  The US authorities got her a taxi to the Detroit Airport and we were separated for 4 months.  The US Officials asked me a bunch of questions and fingerprinted me.  When I asked what was going on they said, just procedure.  This morning, at the interview the Consular Officer said she had to put me in AP until she determined if I was Refused Entry or had just voluntarily withdrawn my request to enter the US.  She said she had means to check but no time to check during the interview.  She kept my Passport as she felt she could resolve the issue in short order.  That was at 10:00 this am.  This afternoon, when I checked the ais.usvisa-info.com site it says "Issued".  Do you think it could be resolved that quickly ?  What are the stages following the interview ?  I have seen several such a Issued, Final Processing, etc.  I have also seen these flip.  Any advice ?  Thanks.

Sorry.  Just read the FAQs.  Mine is Issued  with the note about AP.

[mam521 2,062]

5 hours ago, YYZ&MIA said:

I havent seen my wife in over a year and a half. Hang in there.

 

1 hour ago, aurmorr said:

December 2019 since the last time I saw my wife 😞 like we knew this would be hard but why fate had to throw a pandemic in there I’ll never understand 😩 I believe in you!

I keep telling people that immigration isn’t for the faint of heart. I certainly didn’t anticipate having to pack my kids up and move them from their family home, regular schools and friends. Chin up, you’re nearly there! Sometimes the greater the struggle, the better the reward. 

[Riversong 420]

On 4/26/2021 at 11:30 AM, aurmorr said:

I have had a lawyer tell me that I’m very likely to be refused at the border if I’m honest about my immigration status, and that they would assume I’m going to “wait out” the processing time, which is illegal and could affect .the status of my visa. This was 2020 I was told this.

I have visited my husband a few times since we were married and filed for our I-130, I only encountered a difficult border agent once. I was sent to secondary and ended up missing my flight. It's funny how you can get one border agent who is having a bad day, or on a power trip, and others who are really friendly.

[YYZ&MIA 117]

8 hours ago, Riversong said:

I have visited my husband a few times since we were married and filed for our I-130, I only encountered a difficult border agent once. I was sent to secondary and ended up missing my flight. It's funny how you can get one border agent who is having a bad day, or on a power trip, and others who are really friendly.

Yup. My experience as well. This is bound to happen when a decision is dependent on a human with so much discretion. It can work for you or against you. Hence lawyers advise not to try and visit while the I-130 is pending as instances like that  denials etc can complicate the case. 

[aurmorr 270]

The heard back from the consulate today re: extensions from the consulate for expiring paperwork. They are no longer offering extensions for police records checks that are coming up for expiry so if you have yours expiring in the next two months and waiting for your IL, better safe than sorry 😞

[Mel and Deb 46]

Just an update:

Interview April 14th  Approved IR1

Visa received April 19th via Canada Post in Richmond BC

Entered US   April 20th Peace Arch Crossing

Received Social Security Number/Card in the mail April 28th

 

So far so good.

[State and Maine 190]

21 minutes ago, aurmorr said:

The heard back from the consulate today re: extensions from the consulate for expiring paperwork. They are no longer offering extensions for police records checks that are coming up for expiry so if you have yours expiring in the next two months and waiting for your IL, better safe than sorry 😞

Headed down today to get mine re done. Been researching all morning for the proper check and I believe it’s “criminal record check for personal use” and “other” but the copies I’ve seen say other and provide details in brackets. Not sure what the details are to provide tho. Fingers crossed it all works out

Edited April 29, 2021 by State and Maine
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[Riversong 420]

10 hours ago, YYZ&MIA said:

Yup. My experience as well. This is bound to happen when a decision is dependent on a human with so much discretion. It can work for you or against you. Hence lawyers advise not to try and visit while the I-130 is pending as instances like that  denials etc can complicate the case. 

If Covid restrictions coming back to Canada were lifted I would risk another trip. But having to stay at a government approved location costing 2k right now is not financially responsible I'll be paying more than that for my flight and hotel stay in Montreal for 10 days

[YYZ&MIA 117]

5 minutes ago, Riversong said:

If Covid restrictions coming back to Canada were lifted I would risk another trip. But having to stay at a government approved location costing 2k right now is not financially responsible I'll be paying more than that for my flight and hotel stay in Montreal for 10 days

How come 10 days in Montreal? Well, maybe the 2k gov hotel stay is a myth. Can anyone actually confirm that they paid 2k for the gov 3 night hotel stay ?

[Riversong 420]

3 minutes ago, YYZ&MIA said:

How come 10 days in Montreal? Well, maybe the 2k gov hotel stay is a myth. Can anyone actually confirm that they paid 2k for the gov 3 night hotel stay ?

I don't know anyone personally who has stayed in the government approved hotels, but it's not worth it right now being so close to getting an IL. I decided to get my medical done in Montreal and stay until my interview, 10 days may not be enough time, but I am hoping it will be for the consulate to get my results. There are no places near me to be able to get my medical exam done, I would need to fly and stay in a hotel no matter where I go, so my mum will be coming with me to Montreal and we are making it a "girls week" as much as we can.

[CGs_Mother 114]

3 minutes ago, YYZ&MIA said:

How come 10 days in Montreal? Well, maybe the 2k gov hotel stay is a myth. Can anyone actually confirm that they paid 2k for the gov 3 night hotel stay ?

It's not a myth. I live in Toronto. You can try to leave the airport without going to the quarantine hotel, but if you are caught, there are fines under the Quarantine Act. People have been ticketed starting at $750.00 but also, it might not be worth the risk breaking the law right now if you're in the process of immigrating, even if it's a ticket or a fine. 

 

You CAN actually avoid the hotel quarantine, but you MUST quarantine somewhere appropriate upon your arrival in Canada. https://www.narcity.com/canadas-quarantine-hotels-are-being-avoided-heres-how 

 

 

[Riversong 420]

Yea, I have read that, and what I'm not sure of is whether I would have to stay in their approved hotel, and then fly to my final destination, because I am not sure if they even have government approved locations where I am. The closest town to me is Fort St John BC, which is pretty far north, and then another 65km from there to where I live in BC. Our airport is super small, no big planes come in or out of here. Just smaller west jet and air canada planes. LOL
I rushed back to Canada when we got our DQ notification, thinking we would get our interview soon after. They allowed my quarantine plan then, but since Sept 2020 the rules have changed so much, I am not sure if they would approved my quarantine plan now. It's just not worth risking anything this late in the stage. I was DQ'd Sept 21, 2020 so I should hopefully be in the next batch of IL's that go out.

[Riversong 420]

I have a strange question to ask. I currently sport purple hair with a blue ombre. My job here in Canada allows for any hair colour. I know that when I move to AZ 90% of places only allow "natural" hair colours. I was thinking of trying out different colours to see which ones I like best, but am not sure if I should wait until after my interview seeing as my passport pictures were taken with the purple/blue. Would this make any difference in the process?

[chihuahuaLove 12]

1 hour ago, Riversong said:

Yea, I have read that, and what I'm not sure of is whether I would have to stay in their approved hotel, and then fly to my final destination, because I am not sure if they even have government approved locations where I am. The closest town to me is Fort St John BC, which is pretty far north, and then another 65km from there to where I live in BC. Our airport is super small, no big planes come in or out of here. Just smaller west jet and air canada planes. LOL
I rushed back to Canada when we got our DQ notification, thinking we would get our interview soon after. They allowed my quarantine plan then, but since Sept 2020 the rules have changed so much, I am not sure if they would approved my quarantine plan now. It's just not worth risking anything this late in the stage. I was DQ'd Sept 21, 2020 so I should hopefully be in the next batch of IL's that go out.

Canada has been absolute tyrant all through COVID, whatever the Hell COVID really is.