CR1/IR1 interviews in Montreal this week

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Congratulations guys!!!

KnR

[Wyatt's Torch 45]

X3

OMG, is it Monday yet?

Hehehe.

I must admit...I hadn't really gotten excited yet until I had lunch with a former co-worker of mine today, and she was SO enthusiastic and excited for me...then I realized, "Wow, I guess I SHOULD be excited!" I'm still more in the mindset of just wanting to BE there though...the next eight days will just consist of second and third-guessing my documents etc.

[Malrothien 6]

I'm a bundle of nerves.

Just sayin'.

(Congrats to anyone approved so far!)

[fifo 0]

Yay! We got approved too.

Glad to hear the other two VJ'ers today were successful as well! I just posted my review and since it seems there's no way to get a permalink to it (?!) I'll paste it here.

Also, Wyatt, I think they will just love you! Being well prepared and being first in line seemed to score us big points, or at least that's what it felt like since it ended up being pretty easy with little waiting.

Without further ado, I'll paste my review here so I can go back to watching Canada manhandle Russia.

We were first in line at about 6:30, before another VJ'er. They let us in some time between 7:30 and 7:45, and the wait felt surprisingly short. Given the time we invested waiting for this interview, I'm not sorry at all to have arrived this early (even when we were still on west coast time!)

The security process is the same as other reviews describe, and the view is amazing once they take you upstairs on the elevator. Since we were first we were called first to the window where they check your documents and take your Xpresspost envelope. She asked if my husband had an updated police certificate, but he didn't, and she didn't seem too concerned about that.

She said it would be a short wait, and what felt like a few minutes later, she called my husband up to get his fingerprints taken. I went to the window with him though it was totally unnecessary, and I was amazed at how lightning quick the fingerprinting was.

When the fingerprints were done, she said they'd call us into a room in a little while, and the wait there seemed like a few minutes again. (I was devoting more energy to staying calm than watching the clock ) The next part was the interview, and the first surprising thing was that I wasn't expecting to be standing the whole time. I did read that the interviewer would be behind glass, but I also was picturing us seated and no such luck.

The interview consisted of a few general questions about how we met, and then we started to get into the details of when exactly my husband had lived in the US. He was there on a variety of visas, each time with moves back to Canada, so it was rather complicated. He asked for an original of one of my husband's visas and the stamps in his passport for the other visas, though instead of those we had some little slips of paper that were apparently equivalent.

He seemed to look perplexed at the documentation we were providing, and he excused himself and disappeared into a room behind him. But it ended up being nothing too serious since he came back and said (though still with the concerned look on his face and reaching down and to his right) "Based on the information you've provided..." that my husband's visa was approved. Then he handed us the welcome to the US letter, and explained we'd get the visa mailed to us in our Xpresspost envelope sometime next week.

We were back in our hotel room a few blocks away by about 9:20, so the whole process didn't take long at all. Honestly, after all the waiting, the whole thing was pretty anticlimactic. Not that I'm complaining about that, of course!

All in all, I'd say the people we dealt with were courteous, though the woman who took the documents and fingerprints was friendlier than the interviewer. I was pleasantly surprised by how nice the waiting area was. It was cleaner and newer feeling than most government buildings you see that are populated by surly workers and look like they haven't been touched since the 70s. They also had a rack of US government-related reading materials in the waiting area and some vending machines. They even had a suggestion box (!) though it didn't have any papers or anything to write with. Still, having a suggestion box at least indicates that someone cares!

To all those reading this because you're about to go through this process, best of luck! At least for me it wasn't nearly as trying as I was imagining.

[sdw 10]

Congrats!! Thanks for the review. I can't help but getting nervous, but hearing the positive review helps some.

[Wyatt's Torch 45]

Also, Wyatt, I think they will just love you! Being well prepared and being first in line seemed to score us big points, or at least that's what it felt like since it ended up being pretty easy with little waiting.

Ha! Well that's encouraging to hear!

I've been gradually adding things to my folder over the past month or so...it weighs about five pounds now, I'd guess. I DID pick the perfect type of folder for my materials though...couldn't be happier with it. I'm not sure if I'll use Post-It tags on each individual document or not. I think I've got them all in the right sequence.

Do you recall what order they asked for your documents in?

What sort of proof of bonafide did you have?

Thanks a ton for your review...not to mention your vote of confidence!

[DaveyOntario 1]

Yay! We got approved too.

Glad to hear the other two VJ'ers today were successful as well! I just posted my review and since it seems there's no way to get a permalink to it (?!) I'll paste it here.

Also, Wyatt, I think they will just love you! Being well prepared and being first in line seemed to score us big points, or at least that's what it felt like since it ended up being pretty easy with little waiting.

Without further ado, I'll paste my review here so I can go back to watching Canada manhandle Russia.

Congratulations

I took note the CO advised you you would have the passport returned very soon.

I have been waiting for mine to be returned for 7 weeks and 2 days. What's your secret?

When did you initially apply for a visa?

[Wyatt's Torch 45]

Congratulations

I took note the CO advised you you would have the passport returned very soon.

I have been waiting for mine to be returned for 7 weeks and 2 days. What's your secret?

When did you initially apply for a visa?

It shouldn't take more than two weeks... I think there's a problem there. Have you looked into it? Did you keep the tracking number of your Xpresspost envelope? Have you contacted the Consulate?

[DaveyOntario 1]

Hi,

Yes, have tracking number. Have contacted Consulate only to speak with outgoing mail/passport lady. Has not been sent. Emailed twice only to receive auto reply that we will be contacted in 4 days. This did not happen and was done 3 weeks ago. Contacted Senator's office and was told there was a backlog at Mtl because of the Haiti crisis and the Senator's assistand would notify us once he has more information. Contacted our lawyer and he sent out an email to the consulate last week. No response yet. Been calling Mtl daily with nobody answering the phone. WHEWW, I am running out of resources........

[Wyatt's Torch 45]

Jeez...that's downright scary. I really don't know what to suggest.

[DaveyOntario 1]

WOW, you sure are moving along well. Interview less than 1 year after filing I-130. CONGRATULATIONS!

We filed the I-130 November 2007

[Wyatt's Torch 45]

WOW, you sure are moving along well. Interview less than 1 year after filing I-130. CONGRATULATIONS!

We filed the I-130 November 2007

Thanks! Yeah, I can't complain too much. It's been difficult, to be sure...but I know that many others have had it much worse. Provided I pass my interview next Friday (and I don't see how I wouldn't, barring any severe unforeseens...), it will have been seven months between filing and interview complete.

Your passport return information scares me though. I know several others from here have had interviews this month and have received their passports / visas back. I'm completely perplexed as to why this isn't the case with yours.

[Bern. 3]

fifo, a big congrats on your approval!

And if you don't mind me asking, did they need another I-864? Or are they still accepting 2008 taxes? Thanks!!

[Wyatt's Torch 45]

fifo, a big congrats on your approval!

And if you don't mind me asking, did they need another I-864? Or are they still accepting 2008 taxes? Thanks!!

Why wouldn't they still be accepting 2008 taxes? Why would they need another I-864?

This thread is starting to depress me...

[Bern. 3]

Why wouldn't they still be accepting 2008 taxes? Why would they need another I-864?

This thread is starting to depress me...

I just want to be prepared! Since my husband comes back from deployment March 8 or 9th...and I don't want to make him do anything (such as file taxes early) if he's not in the mood. He can be quite the crab sometimes!