K1-FTP letter from NVC

[A+N 25]

Hello, we received a letter from NVC stating they will now forward our case to the embassy in Montreal, and the process may take several weeks. It also said that the embassy will contact us when they are ready to process our case. I’m wondering, do we start on the DS160 and i134 forms now, or do we do that when the embassy gets in touch with us? Also, when do we schedule the interview… does the embassy tell us when to do that? Thanks in advance! 

[IWander 589]

Consulate specific answer required.  Check out the Canada regional forum

[WeekendPizzaiolo 47]

On 2/16/2023 at 12:17 PM, A+N said:

Hello, we received a letter from NVC stating they will now forward our case to the embassy in Montreal, and the process may take several weeks. It also said that the embassy will contact us when they are ready to process our case. I’m wondering, do we start on the DS160 and i134 forms now, or do we do that when the embassy gets in touch with us? Also, when do we schedule the interview… does the embassy tell us when to do that? Thanks in advance! 

Hi,

 

The CEAC status can sometimes be confusing because the text is written for all consular posts and each consulate has a slight variation on procedures. In our case, USC Montreal did not let us select our own visa appointment, but scheduled it for us automatically in the Packet 4 e-mail that they sent to us. This may have changed, but this is how it was 14 months ago.

 

For now, do not submit DS-160 - you need to wait until the embassy sends you a Packet 3 e-mail, which can takes weeks. Do not schedule your medical until instructed to do so in Packet 4. If I were you, I would get Packet 3 documents ready so that when you receive the Packet 3, you are ready to send it back checked and signed the same day.

 

If you are curious, the Packet 3 e-mail looks something like this (copied from my own records - 12/2021):

 

Quote

 

DEAR XXXXX YYYYYY,

 

This office is processing the below-referenced K-1 Fiancé(e) visa case.  In order to continue processing this case, please visit https://ca.usembassy.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2016/07/Packet3Instructions-K1.pdf to complete and return to the Immigrant Visa (IV) Unit the required application form, a copy of the passport and the checklist of documents to gather for the interview.  After completing the DS-160 application form online, please make sure you select/submit your form to the ‘U.S. Consulate General Montreal’ as the place of your future interview, despite where you are living in Canada.

If your child/ren listed on the petition is/are accompanying you, the DS-160 Confirmation page and a copy of the passport biographic page are also required for each of them.

All forms need to be sent to the U.S. Consulate General in Montreal by e-mail to MONTREAL-IV-DV@STATE.GOV with the following subject line format “Case Number – DS-160 CEAC # Barcode”

e.g. “MTL2018000001 – DS-160 CEAC # AA003GU160”

Please allow six weeks for the review of your case, after you send the required documents.  Upon completion of the review, the U.S. Consulate General in Montreal will send you a Packet 4 letter with instructions on how to get the medical exam done in Canada and how to schedule your immigrant visa appointment. Do not get your medical exam in advance as it has a limited validity!

Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

Immigrant Visa Unit

U.S. Consulate General Montréal

 

The list in Packet 3 includes a police certificate under the privacy act from RCMP, which is probably the most difficult document to obtain [see below - *]. You also need a police certificate for every country where you have resided for at least 6 months since the age of 16. See this State Department page for more details on required Canadian documents: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Visa-Reciprocity-and-Civil-Documents-by-Country/Canada.html. In our case, we also needed to refer to the Brazilian documents page for birth certificates, military records, police reports. For example, if you studied abroad in France for 6 months, you will need to refer to the requirements for French documents.

 

The Packet 4 e-mail for K-1s looks something like this:

Quote

 

This email is to remind you that you are scheduled for your Immigrant Visa appointment in Montreal  on 02/01/2022 at 07:30:00.

Address:
1134 Saint-Catherine St. West
Montréal, Québec, H3B 1H4
Canada

 

Dear XXXXX YYYYYY,

 

This office has completed the review of the below-referenced immigrant visa case. You are now ready for an interview at the U.S. Consulate General in Montreal, where all interviews for immigration to the US from Canada are processed. This letter provides information on the next steps you must take to continue with your immigrant visa case. 

 

Your appointment has been scheduled as noted at the end of this letter.  If you cannot keep this date please notify this office immediately by email at: Montreal-IV-DV@state.gov with subject line “Reschedule appointment” and providing us with your case number.   After your appointment date has passed, please visit https://ais.usvisa-info.com/ and request a “no show” appointment.  Please note that there are long wait times for rescheduling appointments.   

 

 

Your passport and the completed visa packet will be sent to you via our courier service using the CSC Visa Information Service. Please visit https://ais.usvisa-info.com/ to register for the CANADA POST courier location to pick-up your immigrant visa packet and passport. You must have the Passport Number, Date of Birth, Nationality, MTL case number and visa category for each applicant (principal applicant and all family members, including children) ready to access the website. When prompted to select “Trip Purpose”, you must choose ‘Permanently Immigrate to the US.’ After entering your information, you will be prompted to select a DHL courier location. The courier service is provided to you at no cost. Please be sure to register for each applicant, including children.  

 

 

Fees 

If you have previously paid all fees due to the National Visa Center, there will be no additional fees to pay on the day of the interview. If you have not paid fees at the National Visa Center, please be prepared to pay the following fees on the day of your interview. 

 

I-130 immigrant petitions filed in Canada: $535.00 US for each applicant  

IV fee for each family member (spouse/children) added to a petition: $325.00 US for family-based applications and $345.00 US for Employment based.  

SIV cases: $205.00 US. 

DV cases: $330.00 US for each applicant. 

All fees may be paid in US dollars or the Canadian dollar equivalent. We accept cash and credit cards only.  

 

K (fiancé/e) visas: Must pay before arriving at Consulate.  See https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-ca/niv/information/fee for more information. (Please bring a copy of your MRV fee payment.) 

 

Please note if a person is found ineligible to receive a visa, the application fee cannot be refunded. 

 

Medical exam 

Each intending immigrant, regardless of age, is required to have a medical examination, and submit the results on the day of the interview. To schedule a medical examination, please visit https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant-visa-process/interview/interview-prepare/medical-examination.html and select Montreal as your case processing post at step 2. 

IMPORTANT: ***please bring this letter and the appointment confirmation sheet you will receive from http://canada.usvisa-info.com/  to the panel physician medical appointment. *** 

 

 

The day of your interview 

Please bring to your interview the original and one copy of each of the following documents (as applicable), for each applicant: 

 

***If you have an electronic Immigrant visa case please ensure ALL NEW and current documents are scanned to your DS260 application form prior to your appointment date. 

 

The appointment letter showing the date and time of your interview 

Passport valid for at least 6 months beyond the date you plan to enter the United States – bring a copy of the Biographical pages 

Birth certificate (Petitioner and Beneficiary) 

Adoptions decree (s)  

Marriage certificate (s)  

Death and/or divorce certificate(s) (Petitioner and Beneficiary) 

Police certificates from each country in which the applicant has resided for one year or longer. The certificate(s) must be issued within two years of the date of the visa appointment. NOTE: An applicant must present a police certificate from his/her country of current residence and country of nationality, if residence in such country exceeds 6 months  

Court records 

Military records 

Evidence of domicile in the United States 

Job offer letter (for employment-based visas) 

Affidavit of support  

Evidence of support 

Medical examination 

Two photographs (in color) 

 

The U.S. Consulate General is located in downtown Montréal, at 1134 rue Ste-Catherine Ouest, Montréal, Québec H3B 1H4 (corner of Stanley and Rue Ste-Catherine).  Please note that all visitors to the U.S. Consulate General in Montréal are screened by U.S. Consulate security prior to entry.  Screening includes inspections via a walk-through metal detector, a hand-held metal detector and an x-ray machine for personal items.  

 

The following items are prohibited inside the U.S. Consulate: 

Food and beverages; 

Weapons or tools;  

Briefcases, backpacks, luggage, or large purses;  

Electronic or recording equipment of any kind, including, but not limited to: laptop computers, cell phones, PDAs, audio and video players, and pagers;  

Oversized strollers;  

Nail files and nail polish. 

 

The following persons may accompany a visa applicant during his or her visit to the Consulate: 

Interpreter: If you are not fluent in either English or French, a friend or family member may serve as translator. 

Special Needs Visitors: If you are elderly, disabled, or if the applicant is a minor child applying for a visa one person may accompany you.  

Please provide the names, date of birth, place of birth, and nationality of those authorized to accompany you to the interview.  Please have them bring a government issued ID on the day of the interview. 

 

U.S. Consulate General Montreal will honor Canadian government and Quebec province restrictions for those who have recently travelled.  Please check COVID-19: Travel, testing, quarantine and borders - Travel.gc.ca for information on travel and quarantine restrictions.  Consular applicants and visitors will need to affirm that they have followed Canadian government requirements before entering our facilities.   

 

After the interview 

If your visa application is approved, we will put your visa in your passport and send the passport and the completed visa packet, if required, to you by our courier at no extra charge.  

 

You must travel to the United States and apply for admission as a permanent resident within the visa’s validity period.  If you currently reside in the U.S, on a non-immigrant visa, you may be able to pick up your passport with visa and visa packet in the afternoon of the next business day after your interview.  Unless you need your passport for travel, you may return to your address in Canada on the day of your interview. 

 

Do not make any travel arrangements to move to the United States, dispose of property or give up your job until a visa has been issued to you.  A consular officer can make a decision regarding your visa application only after your formal application and all documents have been reviewed, and you have been personally interviewed by a consular officer.  

 

Thank you for your cooperation. We look forward to seeing you at your appointment. 

 

 Sincerely, 

 

 Immigrant Visa Unit  

 U.S. Consulate General Montréal 

In our case, the website was not working properly so we were given an exception to pay the MRV fee in cash at the embassy -- it's probably been fixed since then, I hope! A PDF of the Packet 4 e-mail is needed to schedule the medical with the doctor via e-mail (see https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Supplements/Supplements_by_Post/MTL-Montreal.html for a list of doctors). During your medical exam, make sure to ask for DS-3025 (vaccine worksheet), which you will need for your Adjustment of Status after you get married in the US on your K-1 visa.

 

I hope this helps!

 

-D

 

[*] The standard police report, which is usually sufficient for Canadian purposes, is not sufficient for the US government because the report often omits details such as expungements, cleared arrests, and dismissed charges. If you visit a police station in your province, they will probably select "Reason: Immigration" in the fingerprinting computer, which will give you an incomplete police report that will be rejected by the consulate. Many officer are not familiar with the Privacy Act option, which gives you a full, unredacted report. We used Commissionaires (https://commissionaires.ca/en/) because their online system lets you select the Privacy Act option when booking an appointment (at least the Ontario division of Commissionaires does).

 

 

 

[Sha-Lee88 26]

Greetings.

 

So, they want the original birth certificate for the beneficiary and the petitioner? Is that what you did? I'm not sure I'd want to send my original birth certificate. Please elaborate on what you did. Thanks!