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| Montreal, Canada |  Review on June 27, 2008: |
Southern_Canadian
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
I left Ottawa with my mom and sister on Wednesday at 12:00 pm, after getting lost a few times, we finally got to my grandpa's house around 4 pm (it usually takes us about two hours) We went for dinner at some greek restaurant and went to see where exactly the Consulate was and headed back to grandpa's house. I was asleep by 8:30 pm but woke up a bunch of times throughout the night because I was sooo nervous!
I got up nice and early this morning, got ready and my grandpa took me to the Consulate. Let me tell you something about my dear grandpa.. the man can't drive! He was all over the road, was doing 50 on the high way, went through two red lights and we almost got hit!! I just kept praying to myself.. please just let me get to the Consulate in one piece! lol
I got to the Consulate at 6:30 am and my grandpa read the sign on the door saying that they open at 8:30 am. He kept saying that I was crazy to wait outside for two hours. I tried to explain to him about VJ and how we all know that the doors open around 7:30 am and that it is first come first serve. He eventually left and I was by myself for about fifteen min when a couple joined me. We talked to help pass the time. Slowly, more people began to join the line.
At 7:25 am, a man opened the door and asked me for my passport and appointment letter and then gave me the Letter A and told me to enter. I thought to myself... Ohhhh boy, here we go! Another man greeted me at the next door and asked me for my passport and to put everything in the bin and empty everything out of my pockets. They did some "clean" test of my passport and entered the swab into a machine... anyone know what that is about? Then I walked through the metal detector (just like at an airport) and I was all set to go. They told me to take the door to my right and go down stairs and that someone would be there shortly to escort us up to the 19th floor. So, I sat in the basement area and chatted with the people I met in line and very quickly the area started filling up. At 8 am, a nice man brought an elevator full of us up to the 19th floor and told A,B,C,D & E to go to window 9. A very nice man greeted me at window 9 and asked me for my passport and photocopy of picture page, appointment letter, two passport pictures, birth certificate and photocopy, police record, Letter of intent from Eric, DS156k, I-134, Medical stuff, letter from Eric's employer, his most recent year of tax return and the express post envelope. He quickly asked me how we met and made small talk with me while he made sure that he had everything that he needed so far.
Then, I went to window 14 to pay and sat down till my name was called. By that point, the people that I was talking to all morning, realized that they were not prepared at all! They didn't have their medical (supposedly the Dr. said that they would mail it to the Consulate for them, they didn't have their two passport pictures and they didn't have their express post envelope. They were sent back to the streets of Montreal to find somewhere to purchase the envelope and that was the last that I saw of them. I was then called back to window 9 to present them with the receipt to showed that I paid and they took my finger prints. I was then again told to sit back in the waiting area until my name was called.
At 8:10 am (I was watching the clock :-D), my named was called and told to go to room 7. I walked in and was greeted by a really nice lady, Maureen. She took my finger prints again and said yup, that's you! lol She got me to sign the DS-156 and she signed it as well. She gave me back my original birth certificate. She then asked me questions about Eric and I.. how we met, when did he propose, what he does for work, what I do for work in Ottawa, if we have a wedding date set, what I plan on doing for work down the road and she asked a few questions about his daughter. I was surprisingly really calm because it felt like I was talking to a friend about it. She asked me to raise my right hand and swear that everything I had stated was the truth and that I intended to Marry Eric. And I said, yes! She asked me if I had any questions for her and I said nope :-D She then said well alright, congratulations you are approved! I got the biggest smile on my face and thanked her! She explained how the visa would look in my passport and POE, etc.
She wished me all the best and said have fun calling Eric to tell him the good news. And I was off, back down the elevator.. past the security guards.. and found the nearest pay phone and called Eric right away! Then I called my mom to let her know that I was all done and ready to go shopping with her and my sister. While I waited to get picked up, I tried to call Laura.. but there was no answer :-( I texted her as soon as my mom brought me my cell phone. I was done the whole interview by 9:20 am.
I had fun shopping as well.. got myself a few cute shirts! We ate at La Belle Province for lunch then headed back to Ottawa.
I just want to say thank you to everyone on VJ! I don't know what I would have done without you and your wonderful reviews.. reading them, prepared me for my interview! 
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #3059