part IV, the big IR1/CR1 DQ'd message group...

[F2J_March 49]

@PM Hank

As I mentioned earlier, I had issues when I submitted my request via local RCMP and 3 months after my initial request, I was notified by RCMP ottawa via email as response for my inquiry that the request made by local RCMP was incorrect and I have to resubmit it. Luckily, by that time I had put new request via commissionaries office and had recieved Police Certificate in less than 2 weeks prior to interview.

 

I hope yours is just delayed and your local RCMP have requested the correct document.

[Selfmade 2]

Hope all works just fine for u.

[Selfmade 2]

Hope everything works out for us all. Still waiting for my visa and passport . It’s been now 9 depressing weeks.

[Selfmade 2]

You still need lots of processing to happen before you get an appointment for a visa interview.

[Idlewild 26]

Just wanted to provide an update on my case.  Passport picked up today, with visa approved.  Some notes I've collected for this great forum that avoided the need for any consultant or lawyer to get through it...

1. Thanks to @From_CAN_2_US for his thorough list of documents to bring to the interview.  Didn't end of needing more than what was listed on official websites, but good piece of mind.
2. Do as much of the medical BEFORE the actual medical.  What I mean is, get all your shots not long after being DQ'd.  In our case, it was mostly boosters.  Some shots require 2 rounds, several weeks apart.  The medical process for us, was a complete cakewalk by being prepared.  The Dr. even commended our preparedness.
3. Denial of Entry to the US during COVID lockdowns, even though officially known as "Withdrawn", is still a Denial of Entry.  If this happened to you as it did for my immigrating spouse, go file a FOIA request to at least get the document/evidence showing this incident.  Answer honestly on the DS-260.  The officer will confirm this info, but honesty seems to be the best policy.
4. You CAN "delay" the overall visa process.  In our case, we wanted to wait a bit before leaving Canada.  After the I-130 was approved, we waited about 8-9 months before submitting the DS-260.  No issue doing that.
5. Montreal is a great city for food, budget some time ahead of the interview if you can, to enjoy what it offers, even when it's freezing out.  Book a hotel within a 15-20 minute walk of the consulate to avoid needing cabs.

We will cross sometime later this month via US-preclearance at YYZ.  Good luck to the remainder of you!

[bal13 8]

Does anyone have a recommendation of which panel physician to go to for my medical? I live in Saskatchewan so I'll have to fly to whichever one I go to. Just wondering if there's one that has a history of a smoother process. I'm pretty sure I'm caught up on my vaccinations so that shouldn't be a problem.

[mam521 2,023]

9 hours ago, bal13 said:

Does anyone have a recommendation of which panel physician to go to for my medical? I live in Saskatchewan so I'll have to fly to whichever one I go to. Just wondering if there's one that has a history of a smoother process. I'm pretty sure I'm caught up on my vaccinations so that shouldn't be a problem.

Depends when your interview is relative to when your medical can be booked.  

 

Telus Health isn't the cheapest option, but for us it was a better choice in the grand scheme of things.  We did our medicals in Montreal and stayed the week.  Our medical was 1 week before our interview, so that was just the most cost effective way for the 3 of us to get it done without going back and forth.  We had considered Dr. Cheema (we were in AB), but the airfare and timing didn't work.  

 

Dr. Cheema and the ON panel physicians seem to be able to get people in a bit faster and aren't quite as expensive.  You can take the train or fly from ON to QC easily enough.  

[terter22 0]

15 minutes ago, mam521 said:

Depends when your interview is relative to when your medical can be booked.  

 

Telus Health isn't the cheapest option, but for us it was a better choice in the grand scheme of things.  We did our medicals in Montreal and stayed the week.  Our medical was 1 week before our interview, so that was just the most cost effective way for the 3 of us to get it done without going back and forth.  We had considered Dr. Cheema (we were in AB), but the airfare and timing didn't work.  

 

Dr. Cheema and the ON panel physicians seem to be able to get people in a bit faster and aren't quite as expensive.  You can take the train or fly from ON to QC easily enough.  

There isn't too early a time to go right? I just received my interview letter email overnight (scheduled for June 20th & DQ-ed Feb 1st for anyone interested). I booked the first available medical appt in Vaughan that worked in my schedule (happened to be May 2nd) but I figured I want to do it as soon as I could to ensure everything gets there .. There isn't such a thing as too early right?

[thenextman 14]

9 hours ago, bal13 said:

Does anyone have a recommendation of which panel physician to go to for my medical? I live in Saskatchewan so I'll have to fly to whichever one I go to. Just wondering if there's one that has a history of a smoother process. I'm pretty sure I'm caught up on my vaccinations so that shouldn't be a problem.

If I can offer a counterpoint, or additional advice; I had my physical at Telus in Montreal. They told me that 5 business days / 1 week was required to deliver the results to the consulate; and I planned my appointment and travel accordingly. After the physical the, clinic revealed it's actually 10-15 business days. This meant my results were not ready at interview time (in the end, it took 9 business days), and added _at least_ one week to the whole process (and a lot of undue stress). So, if you go with Telus, you should bear this in mind (regardless what they tell you on the phone).

 

Good luck

[thenextman 14]

5 minutes ago, terter22 said:

There isn't too early a time to go right? I just received my interview letter email overnight (scheduled for June 20th & DQ-ed Feb 1st for anyone interested). I booked the first available medical appt in Vaughan that worked in my schedule (happened to be May 2nd) but I figured I want to do it as soon as I could to ensure everything gets there .. There isn't such a thing as too early right?

The physical results are valid for six months; and that will reflect on the expiration of your visa (if and when it's issued). Something to bear in mind, but honestly a 6 week lead time between medical and interview sounds good to me.

 

For example: my medical was March 8th; interview March 16th; visa issued around the end of March. The expiration on my visa was September 8th.

 

Good luck!

Edited April 13, 2023 by thenextman

[mam521 2,023]

2 hours ago, terter22 said:

There isn't too early a time to go right? I just received my interview letter email overnight (scheduled for June 20th & DQ-ed Feb 1st for anyone interested). I booked the first available medical appt in Vaughan that worked in my schedule (happened to be May 2nd) but I figured I want to do it as soon as I could to ensure everything gets there .. There isn't such a thing as too early right?

 

2 hours ago, thenextman said:

The physical results are valid for six months; and that will reflect on the expiration of your visa (if and when it's issued). Something to bear in mind, but honestly a 6 week lead time between medical and interview sounds good to me.

 

For example: my medical was March 8th; interview March 16th; visa issued around the end of March. The expiration on my visa was September 8th.

 

Good luck!

The bolded part.  When you receive your passport back with your visa in hand, your visa is valid for your first entry into the US for 6mo from the date of your medical.  So, if you have your medical 6 weeks prior to your interview, then your interview and a week or 2 to get your passport back, you have 4 months left to cross the border.  If you feel you can have everything in order to cross, perfect.  Some people take longer to tie up loose ends.  

[bal13 8]

6 hours ago, mam521 said:

Depends when your interview is relative to when your medical can be booked.  

 

Telus Health isn't the cheapest option, but for us it was a better choice in the grand scheme of things.  We did our medicals in Montreal and stayed the week.  Our medical was 1 week before our interview, so that was just the most cost effective way for the 3 of us to get it done without going back and forth.  We had considered Dr. Cheema (we were in AB), but the airfare and timing didn't work.  

 

Dr. Cheema and the ON panel physicians seem to be able to get people in a bit faster and aren't quite as expensive.  You can take the train or fly from ON to QC easily enough.  

 

6 hours ago, thenextman said:

If I can offer a counterpoint, or additional advice; I had my physical at Telus in Montreal. They told me that 5 business days / 1 week was required to deliver the results to the consulate; and I planned my appointment and travel accordingly. After the physical the, clinic revealed it's actually 10-15 business days. This meant my results were not ready at interview time (in the end, it took 9 business days), and added _at least_ one week to the whole process (and a lot of undue stress). So, if you go with Telus, you should bear this in mind (regardless what they tell you on the phone).

 

Good luck

Thanks for the advice! I'm the only one that needs to go for a medical so I think I'm better off making the medical and interview two separate trips with plenty of time between instead of taking a whole week or more off work. I had thought maybe I'd go to Dr. Cheema because I could probably fly there, have my medical, and fly home all in the same day. But maybe that's cutting it too close with airlines' reliability these days.

[Gurpreet01 0]

Hello everyone,

Anybody received an interview letter DQ’ed feb/2023? Seems like they have sent interview letters yesterday and I think we got skipped. DQ’ed feb 13/23. Still waiting.

[llcoolwil 99]

11 hours ago, bal13 said:

 

Thanks for the advice! I'm the only one that needs to go for a medical so I think I'm better off making the medical and interview two separate trips with plenty of time between instead of taking a whole week or more off work. I had thought maybe I'd go to Dr. Cheema because I could probably fly there, have my medical, and fly home all in the same day. But maybe that's cutting it too close with airlines' reliability these days.

I'm DQ'd so I'm thinking of this too. I'm only an hour away from Montreal but with the horror stories I've heard of delays for visa, I'll likely drive to Toronto for medical instead just for peace of mind. 

[llcoolwil 99]

7 hours ago, Gurpreet01 said:

Hello everyone,

Anybody received an interview letter DQ’ed feb/2023? Seems like they have sent interview letters yesterday and I think we got skipped. DQ’ed feb 13/23. Still waiting.

Maybe you will hear today. I am probably wrong in this next statement but I heard that sometimes the letters go out over the course of 2-3 days. Fingers crossed you hear soon! I DQ'd April 5 so I probably won't hear for a while yet.