Montreal embassy EB-2 interview wait time-Part 2

[LAB_BD 4]

My DQ was on 26 October 2022. I haven't received the invitation letter. However, I requested my newborn baby for my application. Not sure if it it causing any delay. I received an email from NVC in March, that stated "The National Visa Center (NVC) received all of the fees, forms, and documents that are required prior to scheduling your immigrant visa interview at a U.S. Embassy overseas."

 

[Texasbound1 72]

10 hours ago, LAB_BD said:

My DQ was on 26 October 2022. I haven't received the invitation letter. However, I requested my newborn baby for my application. Not sure if it it causing any delay. I received an email from NVC in March, that stated "The National Visa Center (NVC) received all of the fees, forms, and documents that are required prior to scheduling your immigrant visa interview at a U.S. Embassy overseas."

 

I think you asked about this before. It is better to add children after an interview letter is received since it won't change your DQ date. If you added them before the interview letter, it may have pushed your DQ date out. Check the DQ date when you receive the regulare NVC email about progress which comes every couple of months for most people.

[mm_101 6]

Congratulations @KO7 and @TheMaverick

Happy for you !!

[AnnaSalu 20]

12 hours ago, TheMaverick said:

Sorry for the delayed response. It went really good and I was approved. Summary of my journey:

Perm Applied: July 2021

Perm Approved: December 2021

I140(EB-3)premium processing: Feb 2022 approved in 5 days

NVC confirmation email: March 2022

NVC DQ: May 2022

NVC interview notification: Jan 2024

Interview : March 26 2024

NVC status change: 4 updates on CEAC- status was on READY for three weeks after interview

Issued status: April 12 2024

Passports Returned: April 17 2024(not picked up yet)

 

- I travelled to Montreal over the weekend and picked a hotel which was within walking distance from the consulate. My interview was at 7:45 in the morning on the following Tuesday and I did not want to stress on driving in the morning. 
- my family and I did a dry run of walking to the consulate the day prior. Just an advice if you do visit just don’t stop at the entrance and continue walking straight in to the RBC bank. The moment you wait at their doors security will approach you and start questioning. 
- whatever is your interview time, just reach 15 mins in advance. Do not worry about the lineup. When it’s time the security guard knows what is required to be done. 
- please read the requirements of carry bags. They are very particular on what you can carry in and the bag you carry. 
- I followed the checklist of documents available on Montreal site. Apart from that I carried additional secondary documents to be safe but none was requested. The additional documents I carried were all that I submitted at the I140 stage to USCIS with latest W2 and tax returns

 

At the entrance there is a airport type security. Basically anything that can beep as you walk through a metal detector is to be removed and placed in the tray. They provide a small locker to keep your mobile phone. I did not carry mine since I was very close to that place. The security will give you two tokens which will have the same number. You will then be asked to take the elevator and go to the first floor. There will be another guard who will check your token and ask you to have a seat. It’s a pretty tight space and get crowded depending upon time of day. Since my interview was early there were few people but as we got done, the place was full. There are washrooms and a water dispenser on the first floor. 
 

when your number comes up the first counter is a document check counter. Here you submit the first token. Follow the checklist and submit all documents as they request. They will also take your fingerprints and this entire process takes approx 15 mins. 
 

Now you sit back again waiting for the second call. When it’s time you go to the second counter and provide the second token to the officer. The officer I got was super friendly from the get go. They will make you and your family to take an oath that you will answer truthfully. Since I am from EB, they make you sign a form that I will join the same company if approved. 
 

some basic questions:

 

- where is my employer based

- where will you be working in the US

- can you walk me through your profile

- Have you travelled to any other countries recently

- have you lived in any country apart from Canada and your home country

- we’re you ever denied a US Visa or denied admission to the US — my answer was yes and I had to provide an explanation. This question was on the DS260 too and I gave the same answer. I was denied admission while applying for TN at the border for a missing document. I was asked to return with it and was issued the TN 

- when did you last travel to the US and approx length of stay and purpose of visiting

 

At the end he said that your visa is approved. He kept the latest police certificate and returned all prior police certificate. He also returned the certificate from my home country. He said we would receive the passport back in 2 weeks. It took 3 weeks and was scary because of the unusually high admin processing Montreal has been issuing. 
 

This journey with Montreal is finally over. Now starts the next steps of wrapping up and moving over. That is a mammoth task considering all the complications pertaining to taxation/house sale/car sale/ new rental place/ school/ spouse job. 
 

I wish all of you the very best. One final tip, keep your answers short and sweet. One liners and nothing more. 

 

 

Wow, this is a lot of great details, thanks for sharing and glad it all went well for you! Question : can you please elaborate on the Police Certificates? Why did you have more than one (a new and old ones)? What about the one from your home country? Was that an old one? How long ago did you leave your home country? What I am trying to get at is how recent should your departure from your home country be for you to need a police certificate from the home country? What if it goes back to 20 years ago?

[Halioak 16]

20 hours ago, Adam RS said:

As I could n't login my previous ID to this website, so I created a new one today.

I received my Interview Letter today morning. My DQ date was December 19th, 2022. 

Hi Adam.  Congrats!  Did you get the letter from the consulate or NVC?  I noticed my CEAC last updated date changed to April 16th and assuming they moved to my case. but no IL yet.  Thanks!

[Froozion 168]

15 minutes ago, AnnaSalu said:

 

Wow, this is a lot of great details, thanks for sharing and glad it all went well for you! Question : can you please elaborate on the Police Certificates? Why did you have more than one (a new and old ones)? What about the one from your home country? Was that an old one? How long ago did you leave your home country? What I am trying to get at is how recent should your departure from your home country be for you to need a police certificate from the home country? What if it goes back to 20 years ago?

For police records you must submit for any country you have lived whilst you were over the age of 16. 

 

For the Canadian police record it must be from the rcmp. Must be for personal use. And must not contain a photograph or fingerprints. 

[Froozion 168]

Sorry and all police records should be from the last 2 years. But as many of us are waiting longer than this. My assumption is he had to get a new police record and it had past the 2 year mark... or perhaps was close and they didn't want any reason for AP

[Texasbound1 72]

7 minutes ago, Froozion said:

Sorry and all police records should be from the last 2 years. But as many of us are waiting longer than this. My assumption is he had to get a new police record and it had past the 2 year mark... or perhaps was close and they didn't want any reason for AP

If you are older than 16 years of age: The original police certificate from your country of current residence, any countries where you lived for more than 12 months, and any country where you have been arrested. If you previously submitted a police certificate to NVC, it is more than one (1) year old, and you still live in that country, you must obtain and bring a more recent police certificate to your visa interview as the one you previously submitted will have expired.

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/iv-dv-supplemental/MTL - Montreal-6-13-2023.pdf

[AnnaSalu 20]

15 minutes ago, Froozion said:

For police records you must submit for any country you have lived whilst you were over the age of 16. 

 

For the Canadian police record it must be from the rcmp. Must be for personal use. And must not contain a photograph or fingerprints. 

 

Thank you! I have all of that. My confusion is about:

 

1- I have a very old police certificate from my home country, which I have not visited since I left (around 20 years ago) - so would I need a renewed one? I thiink they mention if you have not visited, no need for a new one. But I dont want to get an AP because they ask for something that I dont bring there. 

 

2- I have the RCMP one (which I submitted along with my I-140). Do we need new ones when the time comes for the interviews? I am asking this because @TheMaverick mentioned they had new and old certificates, and given the time that will pass before we get the IL, my RCMP ones may expire?

[AnnaSalu 20]

8 minutes ago, Texasbound1 said:

If you are older than 16 years of age: The original police certificate from your country of current residence, any countries where you lived for more than 12 months, and any country where you have been arrested. If you previously submitted a police certificate to NVC, it is more than one (1) year old, and you still live in that country, you must obtain and bring a more recent police certificate to your visa interview as the one you previously submitted will have expired.

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/iv-dv-supplemental/MTL - Montreal-6-13-2023.pdf

 

Sorry, I responded to @Froozion and @Texasbound1 too early. I see your responses now. Thanks for the info, looks like I will need new RCMP ones. Still not sure about the home country. I think there is no point in getting new ones from them (i.e. through their embassy in Canada).

[Froozion 168]

3 minutes ago, AnnaSalu said:

 

Thank you! I have all of that. My confusion is about:

 

1- I have a very old police certificate from my home country, which I have not visited since I left (around 20 years ago) - so would I need a renewed one? I thiink they mention if you have not visited, no need for a new one. But I dont want to get an AP because they ask for something that I dont bring there. 

 

2- I have the RCMP one (which I submitted along with my I-140). Do we need new ones when the time comes for the interviews? I am asking this because @TheMaverick mentioned they had new and old certificates, and given the time that will pass before we get the IL, my RCMP ones may expire?

If the police certificate was issued after you left and you have not returned. It is fine. You would only need a new one if you have gone back. 

[Froozion 168]

1 minute ago, AnnaSalu said:

 

Sorry, I responded to @Froozion and @Texasbound1 too early. I see your responses now. Thanks for the info, looks like I will need new RCMP ones. Still not sure about the home country. I think there is no point in getting new ones from them (i.e. through their embassy in Canada).

Uscis changed the police certificates to two years. Montreal website still says one year as they never updated the form. 

 

It is definitely two years from the date of the interview. Basically if you are close to 6 months left on the rcmp police record and anticipate the interview soon I would get a new one to prevent any issues. 

[mam521 2,062]

Just now, Froozion said:

Montreal website still says one year as they never updated the form. 

I'm chuckling at this because we all know that Montreal is slow to update anything!  This is just another example of the cherry on top. 

[Coco_2023 14]

2 hours ago, Froozion said:

Uscis changed the police certificates to two years. Montreal website still says one year as they never updated the form. 

 

It is definitely two years from the date of the interview. Basically if you are close to 6 months left on the rcmp police record and anticipate the interview soon I would get a new one to prevent any issues. 

 

@Froozion You're right but there are concerns in my case, one that I can't find a definitive description of what "...have not returned..." means in their statement ie does it mean residency there for 6 months+, or just visiting for a shorter period of time, etc.

2nd, it clearly states "this cert expires in 6 months" in my police certificate that I've got 1 year ago for my back home thru it's embassy, so I'd appreciate it if anybody can share their experience of a similar case

 

Edited April 18 by Coco_2023

[dandelion1 5]

Returned means visiting for any length of time. If you have gone for a vacation/ to visit family you must have a police report from the last 2 years. As for the expiry date I am not sure. I have one from my home country (UK) and one from canada, but neither have an expiry date. So I don't have an answer for that one.