IR1 / CR1 - Montreal Timeline to Interview

[La Souris 19]

You know, everyone needs to be forewarned to get your originals back at the interview. Now we have two people with important originals missing. There are obviously COs in Montreal the do not understand they are supposed to return them, so when you are at your interview you need to:

A. Ensure you have a photocopy of the original with you to give them

B. Ensure you have the originals returned to you at the interview.

You might want to print out the information on this page to take with you to the interview:

From the Department of State website:

Getting the applicant’s documents back

The applicant will receive the applicant’s original documents back at the time of the visa interview.

Note: Only one original or certified copy of each document must be submitted with the visa application. The applicant are advised, however, to obtain the necessary documents in duplicate, as this will enable the applicant to provide identical copies in the event the first set is lost or damaged.

Thank you for the link, I will definitely print this information and bring it with me. My husband's brith certificate is $5 and easy to get, but the marriage certificate and my documents were more expensive and I would not be happy to have to order a new set.

[redmen99 1]

I've been away for a while and noticed several posts about the Montreal Consulate keeping people's originals. Of course at the border they would tell you the Consulate would never do that - it MUST be your fault somehow

We had our interview Feb 10th and were approved conditionally so our wait is going to be extended another two or three weeks at least. My wife's birth certificate was from Quebec and entirely in French. The documents that we just translated ourselves were approved by the USCIS and NVC ages ago so once again we find every agency just follows their own rules. The other issue was, again, even though it was explained that I never lived in the U.S. until 2009 and never even had an SSN until summer of 2008, and didn't earn one dime in the U.S. in 2008 he still wanted to see a tax filing even if it was all zeroes, again even though this was all explained in the documents sent to the NVC and already accepted and proves nothing towards whether I can support my wife or not. And even then if they want to be picky fine I'll supply the documents (we are, what choice do we have) what really irks me is that instead of patiently explaining exactly what was necessary and what needed to be done the guy just rushed us out of the booth and even though we were insistent about confirming some questions he just opened his door and made like the apocalypse was about to begin so we wouldn't bother him anymore and didn't even give us a chance to explain anything. He just took off.

The other people at the Consulate were nice but that one guy ruined our day. So we have to mail in the remaining documents and then as long as some other bureaucratic i doesn't need to be dotted or t crossed she should finally be getting her visa. Hopefully some of the originals we left with them will be returned to us so we don't have one more problem to worry about.

Sorry to hear about your troubles. I hope you don't mind me asking a question. My husband was also born in Quebec and his birth certificate is also 100% in French. Did they say what the problem was? I had his birth cert translated by someone who went to University for translation and she signed the translation. I'm hoping this will not be a problem. We also have the small card sized birth certificate that is in French and English.

Hope everything works out for you soon.

[sdhiman 0]

Reading all these reviews about people not getting original documents back, being conditionally approved, having to submit more information or documents worries me a LOT. My interview is in less than a week and so far the folder looks like this:

- Copy of entire I-130 Petition (all documents)

- All original documents sent at NVC stage electronically

- Copies of all documents submitted at NVC Stage

- 2 Passport pictures

- Evidence of relationship (cards addressed to both, boarding passes when we visited each other, emails, chat logs, pictures)

- Prepaid Expresspost Envelope

- Medical results (Do not Open package + X-Ray)

- Husband's recent paystubs

Did I miss anything?

Edited February 18, 2010 by sdhiman

[OBX 51]

Reading all these reviews about people not getting original documents back, being conditionally approved, having to submit more information or documents worries me a LOT. My interview is in less than a week and so far the folder looks like this:

- Copy of entire I-130 Petition (all documents)

- All original documents sent at NVC stage electronically

- Copies of all documents submitted at NVC Stage

- 2 Passport pictures

- Evidence of relationship (cards addressed to both, boarding passes when we visited each other, emails, chat logs, pictures)

- Prepaid Expresspost Envelope

- Medical results (Do not Open package + X-Ray)

- Husband's recent paystubs

Did I miss anything?

Don't forget your passport and interview letter!

[La Souris 19]

Reading all these reviews about people not getting original documents back, being conditionally approved, having to submit more information or documents worries me a LOT. My interview is in less than a week and so far the folder looks like this:

- Copy of entire I-130 Petition (all documents)

- All original documents sent at NVC stage electronically

- Copies of all documents submitted at NVC Stage

- 2 Passport pictures

- Evidence of relationship (cards addressed to both, boarding passes when we visited each other, emails, chat logs, pictures)

- Prepaid Expresspost Envelope

- Medical results (Do not Open package + X-Ray)

- Husband's recent paystubs

Did I miss anything?

Did your husband receive his W2 yet? If so, I would bring them (or a copy).

Also, to improve the chances of getting my original documents back, I would print the page recommended by Trailmix here: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...t&p=3721056

Did you communicate with the consulate or NVC by email? If so, I would bring the emails.

... that's what I was thinking to do for our interview.

Edited February 18, 2010 by La Souris

[Wyatt's Torch 45]

Judging by comments from two other recent EPers, I think you should also have a copy of your hubby's BC with you, even though it doesn't say you need it on the checklist.

[sdhiman 0]

OBX: I wont forget the passport, interview letter! Thanks for the reminder

La Souris: W2 is good idea, I'll ask my husband today. I already printed that page TrailMix recommended yesterday.

Wyatt: Husband's BC, unfortuntalely we dont have it as of now. We are trying to get it but if not, I'll just have to "wish & pray" that they dont ask me for this. I do have his naturalization certificate.

[trailmix 77]

Judging by comments from two other recent EPers, I think you should also have a copy of your hubby's BC with you, even though it doesn't say you need it on the checklist.

I wonder if the two ep people had the same person interview them?

[Wyatt's Torch 45]

I wonder if the two ep people had the same person interview them?

Yeah, I don't know.

I'm debating whether or not I should print out copies of everything I sent to NVC, in addition to all the originals that I scanned and sent. That would make for a lot of duplication, but it might be good for peace of mind. It's already a thick folder with the Xpresspost envelope and x-ray in it!

[trailmix 77]

Well I suppose it can't hurt. My Husband took all that with him - I mean the DS-230 and the I-864.

[Salnik 0]

We submitted all orignal to NVC

Birth certificate

Marriage Certificate

Police clearance

We sent orignal via post to them.

We have managed to get have original birth certificate of me ( beneficiary ) and marriage certificate .

Do I need to get police certificate again ?

Thanks a lot for all your help

[intuitionsys 0]

Sorry to hear about your troubles. I hope you don't mind me asking a question. My husband was also born in Quebec and his birth certificate is also 100% in French. Did they say what the problem was? I had his birth cert translated by someone who went to University for translation and she signed the translation. I'm hoping this will not be a problem. We also have the small card sized birth certificate that is in French and English.

Hope everything works out for you soon.

Part of our problem was we had the bad fortune to be coupled with an impatient so-and-so. He was simply adamant that anything not in English be translated by a "certified" translator, not just someone really really fluently bilingual. My wife just got the "certified" translation in the mail today. She said it was pretty fancy but I haven't seen it yet. Some sort of really official looking seal on it. If you have time I would have it done by a certified translator. We didn't have anything in English even her old hospital certificate from Ottawa was in French, so your card might be enough. I'm no expert in what's passable and what's not but I wouldn't take the chance. It cost us 135 smackers to have two pages translated.

[Salnik 0]

Hi Everyone , I know this questions must be asked several times. I will really appreciate if I can get any help on this or if any one can guide me to the link where I can find this info

We submitted all original to NVC

Birth certificate ( Beneficiary)

Marriage Certificate

Police clearance

We sent original via post to them.

We have managed to get the following originals

Birth certificate of me ( beneficiary ) and my husband ( petitioner)

Marriage Certificate .

Do I need to get police certificate again ? If yes then I will apply for it today as it takes at least 5 weeks to get it ?

Thanks a lot for all your help

Edited February 19, 2010 by Salnik

[Wyatt's Torch 45]

That's strange that you didn't get two copies of the police certificate in the first place. I think they typically give you two. Five weeks also sounds ridiculously long to get one. You're talking about a Canadian one, correct? You know that you just need the "name check" police certificate? I was able to get mine printed out while I waited. It took no more than twenty minutes. You can just go down to a community police office of the RCMP or Commissionaires. Unless you've had any kind of criminal history.

It IS safe to say that you should have a copy available for your interview. It's a good rule of thumb to have a copy of everything. Like I always say, far better to be VERY overprepared than even slightly underprepared.

[trailmix 77]

We only had 1 police certificate given to us.

We sent the original to NVC - no, it won't be returned to you at the interview, that is the only original you won't be given back.

Do you need it, no not really. I mean if you did have occasion to need another police certificate you would have to get a new one anyway.

Edited February 19, 2010 by trailmix