A little later than promised... my experience in Montreal!

[Jashley820 0]

Then she asked me about my previous green card. She wanted to know what I'd done with it... and this is where I did the stupidest thing ever that had me panicking right up until the interview! See, I still have my old green card. It's useless, but I never got rid of it... it's in a file somewhere in a box in the back of a closet. I'd meant to bring it with me to the interview, but I forgot it! I didn't realise I'd forgotten it until she asked about it! And then the stupidity: instead of saying "I still have it but I forgot to bring it with me" ... for some idiotic reason the words "I destroyed it" came out of my mouth. I think I must have panicked at the thought that maybe not having it with me would delay things... I wish I could have stopped myself from doing that! Anyway, she didn't seem overly pleased with this statement. She repeated my words back to me as a question, to which I blurted out "I was only 19 when I came back to Canada and I didn't know what I was supposed to do with it". And I guess that satisfied her because she made a little note on my paperwork and didn't say anything else. But I was still scared I'd just screwed up!

Great review!! This bit made me laugh as I had an R-1 visa before in the US, and had been assigned a SSN card during that process. I actually about a year before had shredded my SSN card thinking - i'll never have use for it again!! I was thinking about that too when I went to Montreal.. and flipping out cause i didn't even know what number my SSN used to be!! It all worked out in the end, and I have a replacement card now, but stuff like that really does stress you out at the time!!

I lived in Texas when I was a teenager, and I didn't even realize that my parents had kept my SS card on hand! It made it incredibly easy when I went to the SS office after I moved down in March...it really was only a name change on an existing card, instead of trying to get a brand new one on a K1 visa. I was thankful for that, given the problems that K1 holders have with getting a SSN!

Amy, I don't know if you still have your SSN or not from when you lived in TX, but it might be a good idea to have it on hand!

Shoot! Another double post....my internet keeps cutting in and out. I am so sorry you guys!

[sapa_uscan 0]

that was good news! well recap'ed!!

[kimmbo 0]

Thanks for posting the review! Glad it all went smoothly even after the "I destryed it" comment!..LOL.. Ive done that kind of stuff too where IMMEDIATELY after you said it you think "what the hell just happened!"... Congrats and Good luck with your move!

[misa 2]

Great review and congrats!

[Amy and Brian 1]

Thanks again everyone!

Tinker, I wasn't offered the option to buy my envelope there... no. She simply asked if I'd brought one. Perhaps if I'd said no, she would have offered? I don't know. But my paperwork told me to bring one so I did Also, yes, La Tour Centre-Ville has a checkout time of noon! So as long as you get to the consulate early, you should definitely be out in time to go back to the hotel for a while and not have to worry about getting stuck with another nights fee!

Melyssa, Google Maps are your friend! Plug in the address of wherever your staying and see how far it is from the consulate... you might luck out and have it be close! If not, a cab will probably definitely be worth it to ease your mind the day of the interview.

Jashley, okay... now you're scaring me! We both lived in Texas as teenagers, both from the GTA, and both ended/ending up in a relatively similar area of Ohio? What are you, my evil twin or something?

You know what guys? My SSN card is in the same spot as the old "destroyed" green card! So yes, I'm definitely glad I still have that!

[Jashley820 0]

Thanks again everyone!

Tinker, I wasn't offered the option to buy my envelope there... no. She simply asked if I'd brought one. Perhaps if I'd said no, she would have offered? I don't know. But my paperwork told me to bring one so I did Also, yes, La Tour Centre-Ville has a checkout time of noon! So as long as you get to the consulate early, you should definitely be out in time to go back to the hotel for a while and not have to worry about getting stuck with another nights fee!

Melyssa, Google Maps are your friend! Plug in the address of wherever your staying and see how far it is from the consulate... you might luck out and have it be close! If not, a cab will probably definitely be worth it to ease your mind the day of the interview.

Jashley, okay... now you're scaring me! We both lived in Texas as teenagers, both from the GTA, and both ended/ending up in a relatively similar area of Ohio? What are you, my evil twin or something?

You know what guys? My SSN card is in the same spot as the old "destroyed" green card! So yes, I'm definitely glad I still have that!

Amy,

I was thinking the exact same thing, lol! I can't believe it. I lived in Austin from '92 - '97, and I absolutely loved it there. I would really like to go back for a visit. Where did you live? I wasn't lucky enough to have Permanent Residency, I was only there on an L2 visa (my dad was there for a 5 year work assignment).

Edited August 17, 2007 by Jashley820

[Ron/Sharon 0]

Amy forgot to ask. My letter also says something about buying the envelope there. Did they offer you that option?

If you don't have the envelope they will give you a pass to get back in and then will send you to the pharmacy near the consulate to get one.

[Ron/Sharon 0]

I am happy that you had a good trip and experience at the consulate, mine was very much like yours, it would seem that you met Debbie, the lady that put everything together with you. She is one consular official I will never forget because of a notation she made in my file. Can I ask you a question? Do you think that alcohol could be smelled off a persons breath on the other side of that window. Debbie said she could when I was there, she must have one good nose to smell back that many years. The second person I saw was a younger male about early to mid 30s.

Ron, are you saying that the consular officer actually said she could smell alcolhol on your breath?!!!!! Unbelievable. I'd be fuming.

It was noted in my file by Debbie, I only found out after the doctor called the consulate with a what's up question this week regarding her examination.

[Amy and Brian 1]

I lived right outside Houston from 1999-2002. Just long enough to get my green card and then run straight back to Canada. I wish I'd stayed longer, a lot of things in my life would have gone a lot differently if I had. Of course, things probably wouldn't have turned out the way they did with Brian if I hadn't come back though! (Columbus is a lot closer to Oakville than it is Houston!).

I've only been back to visit once since I left... right in the middle of Hurricane Rita. That sure was pleasant

[Tinker 0]

Amy, did you try to take the 11:40am train back home? Just wondering what you did till the later one left....UGh....

[T.O_2_FL 0]

Thank you for that very indepth review! It's always nice to know what will happen at these things....

CONGRATS!

[L_n_O 3]

I think I'm going to print some of the reviews and take them with me to the interview =)

just so I know where to walk and suck

[Jashley820 0]

I lived right outside Houston from 1999-2002. Just long enough to get my green card and then run straight back to Canada. I wish I'd stayed longer, a lot of things in my life would have gone a lot differently if I had. Of course, things probably wouldn't have turned out the way they did with Brian if I hadn't come back though! (Columbus is a lot closer to Oakville than it is Houston!).

I've only been back to visit once since I left... right in the middle of Hurricane Rita. That sure was pleasant

I look back frequently and I realize how different my life would be if I hadn't made the decisions that I made...everything happens for a reason! I can't imagine what my life would have been like if I had never met my husband!

Oh my gosh...being there during the Hurricane must have been interesting to say the least! We never got a hurricane the entire time we lived there....a tornado though! That was a friggin scary experience, but a fun story to tell!

[Amy and Brian 1]

Tinker, I was originally booked on the 6:15pm train back to Toronto (it was the cheapest when I booked) but I ended up going to the train station and shelled out some money to change my tickets around. I could have made the 11:40 train if I'd wanted, but I chose to wait for the 3:40 one instead. I wanted to have a little time to wander the streets because I remembered Montreal being a nice place. I'd planned on looking around Old Montreal for a bit, but I got my directions mixed up and couldn't find it! So I basically spent my time wandering the streets looking for Old Montreal and then hanging around back at the train station

Oooh, and guys, the visa is HERE IN OAKVILLE RIGHT NOW! I would have it in my hands if I'd remembered to write my buzz # on the envelope. But instead it is sitting at the post office and I have to wait till tomorrow afternoon to pick it up.

[Jashley820 0]

Tinker, I was originally booked on the 6:15pm train back to Toronto (it was the cheapest when I booked) but I ended up going to the train station and shelled out some money to change my tickets around. I could have made the 11:40 train if I'd wanted, but I chose to wait for the 3:40 one instead. I wanted to have a little time to wander the streets because I remembered Montreal being a nice place. I'd planned on looking around Old Montreal for a bit, but I got my directions mixed up and couldn't find it! So I basically spent my time wandering the streets looking for Old Montreal and then hanging around back at the train station

Oooh, and guys, the visa is HERE IN OAKVILLE RIGHT NOW! I would have it in my hands if I'd remembered to write my buzz # on the envelope. But instead it is sitting at the post office and I have to wait till tomorrow afternoon to pick it up.

That's so great, congratulations!