Our visa is actually less than 6 months: issued 10-07-2024 and expiring 02-22-2025. I think the six months is from the medical exam.
Here is my story today:
After receiving a notice this morning that our passports had arrived at a Toronto postal office, I picked up a large package with our passports, small envelopes for each family member, and two big ones for myself. I arrived at the Niagara border crossing around 4:30 PM. The border officer took our passports and asked us to park and head to a nearby building.
There were a few people ahead of us, but it took less than 20 minutes before an officer called us inside and collect our package. After about five minutes, we were asked to go to his desk for pictures and fingerprints. About 15 minutes later, he returned our passports with a stamp next to the visas printed in Montreal, explaining that this is our temporary green card that is valid for one year and it can be used to work and travel internationally until the actual card arrives.
There were no major questions, just confirming our U.S. address and the type of visa I have. After that, I drove back to Toronto, looking forward to returning home this weekend to resume my work in the U.S after more than a month . Good luck to everyone!!