Got the visa issued today.
Start to finish took 4.5 hours, I read 1-2 hours somewhere on the forum and thought I could get away with eating a little breakfast and have early lunch afterwards. Nope, stomach was unhappy for most of the time I was in the consulate. Small lockers are provided free of charge, they fit no larger than your phone, smartwatch and earphones together. Drinking water fountain is provided. Some 40-50 applicants were in the waiting room at any given time. There were 12 windows/booths for the interviews, today 4 of them were dedicated to American citizen services.
The interview is a 2 step process. I got to the consulate at 830am, did security screening and put all electronics away in the locker. They will then tell you to take the elevator to the first floor, which is where the whole process happened. I waited 2 hours until my number was called. The first interview was just a document check really, the lady just asked who my petitioner is, confirmed the addresses and contact information, and obtained my original documents, this took about 10-15 minutes. I sat back down and noticed that most of the staff were gone for lunch break (or planning world domination idk), I waited another 2 hours before my number was called for the actual interview, this also took 10-15 minutes. The staff are highly trained, the interview is just to figure out whether your application is legit and not a fraud, so as long as you're legitimate there's nothing to worry about. I was lucky because both the staff I dealt with were nice and not the type to give you a hard time, both of them smiled frequently and are the kind of person who wants you to succeed, provided you followed the pre-interview guidelines and are not missing any documents of course. It seemed like most of the staff are like that just by observing them interact with other applicants. The staff who did my second interview was just as excited as me when he issued my visa!
Best of luck to everyone, the finish line is closer than you think!
For out of town visitors, I recommend Best Western Plus Downtown Montreal-Hotel Europa. 3 minute walk to the consulate, tons of food options within walking distance, and cheap, easy and quick access to/from the airport with bus route 747. I stayed in a room with a queen bed, the bathroom is a little small, but for a one night stay, I really couldn't complain given the cheap price. If you want to be safe, stay 2 nights and avoid almost missing my return flight like I did!
Here's my brief timeline:
I130 Filed: Late July 2022
I130 Approved: Late July 2023
Case sent to NVC, NVC Case Created and Paid IV and AoS Fees: Early August 2023
NVC fee status changed to PAID: Mid August 2023
DQ: Late August 2023
Interview Letter: 21 Nov 2023
Interview: 24 Jan 2024
Concurrently I also applied for Canadian citizenship:
Apply for Canadian citizenship: Late August 2023
Acknowledgement of Receipt: Mid Oct 2023
Citizenship Test: Early Nov 2023
Became Canadian citizen and new Canadian passport issued: Early December 2023