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

[FZG 0]

Hey everyone,

 

 I am the beneficiary and am in Canada on a Work Permit which is set to expire on May 1st. I was DQ'd on January 24th and have not yet received an IL. I have contacted the embassy requesting to expedite my case but they declined.  I have now applied for an extension for the work permit but the processing times are 5 months, however, this would still give me implied status and allow me to legally be in Canada until a decision is made on my permit, but there is no written document showing this until I do not get a physical copy of the permit. Should I be submitting proof of applying for an extension as well as an opinion letter through a lawyer stating my stay in Canada is legal till a decision is made on my permit so they don't cancel my interview? If yes, will our DQ date change to after they review this? Interview wait times in my home country are over 500 days after being DQ'd and i'm hoping this doesn't push us back of the line as we are so close!

 

Thanks!

[BETEPOK 9]

2 hours ago, Murse10 said:

I got the email at 1:40, no physical letter yet. 

There is no physical letter. it's all e-mails

[NorthnerSouth98 23]

Hi All, 

 

I was just DQ’d about an hour ago, I’ve been following along for a few weeks and trying to establish an estimate on when we should expect our interview in Montreal, not just the IL. 
 

In reviewing the master Google document it looks like the time period was not too bad last year, heightened in the back half of the year. 
 

Could anyone provide a ball park of days between DQ to interview within the last 6 months in Montreal?

 

Thanks in advance!

[CanUkie 7]

Just a quick update:

 

Had a super smooth interview last week (on Mar 6th) and got approved in the afternoon. The IV was printed the next day (Mar 7th), and I got my passport on the 9th (Courier-Return Service, free). Crossed the border (via land) on activated my visa on Mar 11th.

 

Enormous THANK YOU to everyone on the forum. It’s been a long journey, and having people sharing their experiences and insights along the way was absolutely priceless.

 

@Hawk Riders, I’ve updated my timeline - feel free to adjust the excel sheet whenever you can:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1LvnDvX95_tfWtTvsJJM49PDPPvPKal0WG2rgdZHhsz0/htmlview?urp=gmail_link&usp=gmail#

 

I’ll be posting more detailed reviews later in separate forums: Telus Medical (in Montreal), U.S. Consulate and POE CAN-US crossing.

 

Here is a quick snapshot with few tips in the meantime:

 

2022-Oct-21 - DQ’d

 

2023-Jan-27 - IL (Interview Letter) by email  (98 days after DQ’d)

 

2023-Feb-8 - Medical Exam @Telus Sante in Montreal (26 days before the Interview)

 

2023-Feb-14 - Confirmation email from Telus Sante that the medical results were sent to the Consulate (1 week after the exam); The email will have your updated vaccination records as well

 

2023-Mar-6 - Interview in U.S. Consulate in Montreal (approved)

2023-Mar-9 - Passport with IV is ready to pick up (in Ottawa), shipped by BSL (free Courier-Return Service)

2023-Mar-11 - CAN-US POE (via land)

 

 

Re: Interview letter and instructions

Everything you need for the interview registration, medical exam, and pre-interview documents checklist is in the email.

Here is the link, just in case: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Supplements/Supplements_by_Post/MTL-Montreal.html

Make sure to print 2 x copies of the IL email, as you’ll need to leave one at the Medical Exam and show the 2nd one at the Embassy on the day of the Interview.

 

Re: Medical Exam (@Telus Sante in Montreal)

Try to book it as early as possible (at least ONE week before your interview). TWO weeks would be safer, as there are a limited amount of doctors who can sign off on your exam results, the clinic is super busy, and you don’t want to get any delays with your visa just because the medical didn’t get to the consular on time.

 

~$500 for the exam + any vaccinations you need on the day of the exam ($50-$70 per vaccine). Try to get as many vaccines as possible ahead of time via your family physician or walk-in clinic (especially flu shots and COVID vaccines), as you’ll be paying extra for anything that’s missing. Bring your Immunization Booklet (or a letter from your physician confirming your immunization status). You can check the list of required vaccines in the IL email. Just FYI: COVID vaccine is mandatory unless you get a waiver, but that may take time. Also, if you decide not to go to Montreal and do a medical exam in Toronto or Vancouver - keep in mind that they don’t do extra vaccinations on-site. I believe only the Montreal Clinic does that.

 

Re: Interview (@U.S. Consular in Montreal)

Make sure to register your Interview (the link is in the IL email) and print out the confirmation - you’ll need both (IL email and the Interview Registration Confirmation) at the entrance. Show up 15 min early. They won’t let you in before, especially if there is a line outside but don’t worry, you won’t miss your interview as the security will sort the line and let people in in groups based on their Interview time. ALL requested ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS (birth certificates, marriage certificate, police clearance, etc.) is a MUST. You won’t even get to the interview as someone at the consular will check if you brought all requested documents before you actually meet with an interviewing officer. The interview itself goes pretty quickly, 5-10min. Honesty and transparency is the key!

Here is some helpful info on the steps before & after the Interview:

https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-ca/iv/information/iv_overview

And some info directly from the Consular on how to organize your documents for the interview itself:

https://ca.usembassy.gov/visas/fiancee/appointment-checklist/

 

[CanUkie 7]

1 hour ago, NorthnerSouth98 said:

Hi All, 

 

I was just DQ’d about an hour ago, I’ve been following along for a few weeks and trying to establish an estimate on when we should expect our interview in Montreal, not just the IL. 
 

In reviewing the master Google document it looks like the time period was not too bad last year, heightened in the back half of the year. 
 

Could anyone provide a ball park of days between DQ to interview within the last 6 months in Montreal?

 

Thanks in advance!

3 months - DQ to IL

1 month - IL to INTERVIEW

 

you can also check the average STATS columns on the Google Doc:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1LvnDvX95_tfWtTvsJJM49PDPPvPKal0WG2rgdZHhsz0/htmlview?urp=gmail_link&usp=gmail#

 

[DijonMustard 10]

Just to carry on the timeline - we were DQ'd Jan 27th, but have not received an IL yet. Hopefully, we'll be in the next batch! Congratulations to all who received their IL last night!

[brebu 4]

Another quick question - I am trying to register my interview and it's asking my my DS-260 number. Which one is that?

Is it the Invoice ID number?

Can anyone help pls?

[brebu 4]

Another quick question for me...

 

I just noticed on the Interview Letter my zip code is mis-spelled. It was mis-spelled by my lawyer when submitting the DS-260 and I didn't catch it.

 

Can I still register the interview and then fix the zip code issues afterwards? Like at the consulate? Or so I need some type of Corrected Form DS-260?

[CanUkie 7]

1 hour ago, brebu said:

Another quick question - I am trying to register my interview and it's asking my my DS-260 number. Which one is that?

Is it the Invoice ID number?

Can anyone help pls?

Once you submit your DS-260 it should come up on the Confirmation Page with TWO barcodes (Case No with MTL###### and the DS-260 Confirmation No: AA######  - that's the number you're looking for). You can always log in to your NVC account and submit the DS-260 again to generate that confirmation page.

[CanUkie 7]

1 hour ago, brebu said:

Another quick question for me...

 

I just noticed on the Interview Letter my zip code is mis-spelled. It was mis-spelled by my lawyer when submitting the DS-260 and I didn't catch it.

 

Can I still register the interview and then fix the zip code issues afterwards? Like at the consulate? Or so I need some type of Corrected Form DS-260?

We never had to do that, but I believe you can make last-minute changes to your DS-260 before it gets sent to the Consular. If you search in earlier posts in this forum, I think I've seen some people that were able to update their DS-260 before the Interview or before registering their appointment.

 

And yes, I think during the registration - you may be able to change the address but I think it only affects the shipping and not the address in the DS-260.

 

As a last resource, you can make corrections to your DS-260 during the interview at the Consular.

[ajxl888 38]

On 3/16/2023 at 1:21 PM, CanUkie said:

Just a quick update:

 

Had a super smooth interview last week (on Mar 6th) and got approved in the afternoon. The IV was printed the next day (Mar 7th), and I got my passport on the 9th (Courier-Return Service, free). Crossed the border (via land) on activated my visa on Mar 11th.

 

Enormous THANK YOU to everyone on the forum. It’s been a long journey, and having people sharing their experiences and insights along the way was absolutely priceless.

 

@Hawk Riders, I’ve updated my timeline - feel free to adjust the excel sheet whenever you can:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1LvnDvX95_tfWtTvsJJM49PDPPvPKal0WG2rgdZHhsz0/htmlview?urp=gmail_link&usp=gmail#

 

I’ll be posting more detailed reviews later in separate forums: Telus Medical (in Montreal), U.S. Consulate and POE CAN-US crossing.

 

Here is a quick snapshot with few tips in the meantime:

 

2022-Oct-21 - DQ’d

 

2023-Jan-27 - IL (Interview Letter) by email  (98 days after DQ’d)

 

2023-Feb-8 - Medical Exam @Telus Sante in Montreal (26 days before the Interview)

 

2023-Feb-14 - Confirmation email from Telus Sante that the medical results were sent to the Consulate (1 week after the exam); The email will have your updated vaccination records as well

 

2023-Mar-6 - Interview in U.S. Consulate in Montreal (approved)

2023-Mar-9 - Passport with IV is ready to pick up (in Ottawa), shipped by BSL (free Courier-Return Service)

2023-Mar-11 - CAN-US POE (via land)

 

 

Re: Interview letter and instructions

Everything you need for the interview registration, medical exam, and pre-interview documents checklist is in the email.

Here is the link, just in case: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Supplements/Supplements_by_Post/MTL-Montreal.html

Make sure to print 2 x copies of the IL email, as you’ll need to leave one at the Medical Exam and show the 2nd one at the Embassy on the day of the Interview.

 

Re: Medical Exam (@Telus Sante in Montreal)

Try to book it as early as possible (at least ONE week before your interview). TWO weeks would be safer, as there are a limited amount of doctors who can sign off on your exam results, the clinic is super busy, and you don’t want to get any delays with your visa just because the medical didn’t get to the consular on time.

 

~$500 for the exam + any vaccinations you need on the day of the exam ($50-$70 per vaccine). Try to get as many vaccines as possible ahead of time via your family physician or walk-in clinic (especially flu shots and COVID vaccines), as you’ll be paying extra for anything that’s missing. Bring your Immunization Booklet (or a letter from your physician confirming your immunization status). You can check the list of required vaccines in the IL email. Just FYI: COVID vaccine is mandatory unless you get a waiver, but that may take time. Also, if you decide not to go to Montreal and do a medical exam in Toronto or Vancouver - keep in mind that they don’t do extra vaccinations on-site. I believe only the Montreal Clinic does that.

 

Re: Interview (@U.S. Consular in Montreal)

Make sure to register your Interview (the link is in the IL email) and print out the confirmation - you’ll need both (IL email and the Interview Registration Confirmation) at the entrance. Show up 15 min early. They won’t let you in before, especially if there is a line outside but don’t worry, you won’t miss your interview as the security will sort the line and let people in in groups based on their Interview time. ALL requested ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS (birth certificates, marriage certificate, police clearance, etc.) is a MUST. You won’t even get to the interview as someone at the consular will check if you brought all requested documents before you actually meet with an interviewing officer. The interview itself goes pretty quickly, 5-10min. Honesty and transparency is the key!

Here is some helpful info on the steps before & after the Interview:

https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-ca/iv/information/iv_overview

And some info directly from the Consular on how to organize your documents for the interview itself:

https://ca.usembassy.gov/visas/fiancee/appointment-checklist/

 

Congratulations and thanks for the tips!

 

Are you able to share some of the questions they asked during the interview itself?

 

 

[thenextman 14]

Hello all

 

Once the visa is approved by the consulate (post interview), I've seen people here talking about seeing the status change online (from refused to issued or back, etc). On which website is this visible? Is it the CEAC or a different site? Do you get emails on status changes or it's necessary to login and check? Thanks!!

 

And, to add a little information for everyone else (and follow up from @CanUkie detailed post): I had my interview on Thursday 16th at the consulate in Montreal. The process was very straightforward, and everyone was welcoming and friendly. The CO was happy with my case and intends to approve my visa. 

 

However - with one small speed bump - I made my medical exam at Telus in Montreal on Wednesday 8th (allowing the one week specified on the pre-interview instructions, and the 5 business days specified by Telus themselves over the phone when I made the appointment). However, at the time of my interview, my medical results were not yet available: when I left my medical, I got the contradictory information that it would take 10-15 business days to issue the results, and this was repeated to me when I followed up with the clinic after my interview.

 

So, I was issued a 221 refusal form; the CO said he will check my case every couple of days until the medical results come and assuming all is ok, he will issue the visa.

 

My recommendations are not to use the Telus clinic in Montreal if you can avoid it. Overall I had a poor experience. If you must use the Telus clinic in Montreal, regardless of what they tell you when you make your appointment, you should allow 10-15 business days for the results to be available to the consulate.

 

Thanks and good luck to everyone

[thenextman 14]

On 3/17/2023 at 2:36 PM, ajxl888 said:

Congratulations and thanks for the tips!

 

Are you able to share some of the questions they asked during the interview itself?

 

 

They asked me:

- When we got married

- If I or my spouse had ever been married before

- When and where I met my spouse

- The status of our relationship before marrying (e.g. long distance)

- If I'd ever travelled to Iran, Afghanistan, any "adventure tourism"

- If I'd ever held a US visa before

- If I'd ever overstayed a visa in the US or other country

 

Overall the conversation was friendly and pleasant. I interacted with 3 consular officers and it was very relaxed and straightforward.

 

Hope it helps,

[ShawnK 82]

24 minutes ago, thenextman said:

Hello all

 

Once the visa is approved by the consulate (post interview), I've seen people here talking about seeing the status change online (from refused to issued or back, etc). On which website is this visible? Is it the CEAC or a different site? Do you get emails on status changes or it's necessary to login and check? Thanks!!

 

And, to add a little information for everyone else (and follow up from @CanUkie detailed post): I had my interview on Thursday 16th at the consulate in Montreal. The process was very straightforward, and everyone was welcoming and friendly. The CO was happy with my case and intends to approve my visa. 

 

However - with one small speed bump - I made my medical exam at Telus in Montreal on Wednesday 8th (allowing the one week specified on the pre-interview instructions, and the 5 business days specified by Telus themselves over the phone when I made the appointment). However, at the time of my interview, my medical results were not yet available: when I left my medical, I got the contradictory information that it would take 10-15 business days to issue the results, and this was repeated to me when I followed up with the clinic after my interview.

 

So, I was issued a 221 refusal form; the CO said he will check my case every couple of days until the medical results come and assuming all is ok, he will issue the visa.

 

My recommendations are not to use the Telus clinic in Montreal if you can avoid it. Overall I had a poor experience. If you must use the Telus clinic in Montreal, regardless of what they tell you when you make your appointment, you should allow 10-15 business days for the results to be available to the consulate.

 

Thanks and good luck to everyone

https://ceac.state.gov/CEACStatTracker/Status.aspx 

 

Go there, once it says issue you're good.

 

Congrats, a medical thing is no biggie, should be issued in a week or so.

 

 

[thenextman 14]

3 minutes ago, ShawnK said:

https://ceac.state.gov/CEACStatTracker/Status.aspx

 

Go there, once it says issue you're good.

 

Congrats, a medical thing is no biggie, should be issued in a week or so.

 

 

Thanks! That's what I was looking for