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| Montreal, Canada |  Review on December 11, 2023: |
PeperoniMacaroni
Rating:  | Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
Had my interview this morning (December 11th) at 8am. Normally I don’t write reviews but VisaJourney has been a godsend for me and I hope I can pay it forward a small bit.
Arrived at the consulate 20 minutes early. There is a security guard at the door who asks if you are there for immigration or for passports and then asks your interview time. He let me in immediately even though there were people with 7:45 interview times behind me.
Some tips for entry:
- it’s best not to bring a bag. There was one woman who was let in with a tote purse, but another man was turned away because he had a laptop bag. They will send you to the second cup and tell you to ask them to hold your bag for you. This just seems like a hassle that isn’t worth it.
- you have to go through security similar to the airport. It makes everything run faster if you have minimal accessories (multiple coats, belts, winter accessories). Obviously, this isn’t always easy to do but I found the less stuff you have to put in the bin, the better.
- no, your spouse nor your child can come in with you unless they also have an interview. A woman was turned away because she brought her child and he wasn’t on the list. She had to come back without him. Another woman’s husband tried to come in and he was also sent to the second cup.
- as others have stated it is very easy to put your phone and smart watch into the little lockboxes. They have a key that you take with you upstairs then bring back when you are done. They let me keep my wallet with me
- 2 number slips are put into your passport. A LOT of people got confused by this. It’s basically like any other “take a number” government office, you have a number, the screen dings when it’s your number/your turn.
After security, you go into the elevator to the first floor (the floor is labeled in the elevator so it is very hard to mess this up). Immediately you walk into a room of chairs, cubical windows and 1 desk with a security guard. If you turn all the way around (to face the elevator) and look up and slightly left there is a huge TV with 4 numbers at a time and which window you go to. It’s easiest to find a seat where you can see the numbers pop up (I.e. not right under the tv if you can help it) but the there is a loud ding everytime there’s a new number.
It took roughly 8 minutes for my number to be called the first time for document collection. First they ask for your passport (I left my number slips in it and she gave one back to me to keep). She asked for my Canadian address and phone number and confirmed my husbands address and phone number (I was worried because my husband has moved a lot and also changed phone numbers and I didn’t know them off by heart but she just read them out and asked if they were correct). I had a change of address for my husband from our original I-864, this was easily done. I did have the new address printed on a piece of paper which I believe she appreciated. Next she asked for original birth certificate, police clearance and marriage certificate. Confirmed that it was was our first marriages and also confirmed again I had no criminal history. She asked a quick questions about our joint sponsor as my husband is in graduate school (makes no income) and did not file taxes, so we used his father as our sponsor. She didn’t ask for any proof of taxes/w2/domicile. Finally she took fingerprints (right and left), gave me a domestic abuse pamphlet to read and told me to sit down again.
45 minutes later my number was called again for the interview. The man conducting it was also training so there were 2 people but he was extremely friendly and personable, making jokes and such. He made me take an oath (right hand up, “I swear I’m not lying” ect.) then asked who my sponsor was, when we got married, if this was our first marriage, how and where we met and what he did for work/confirmed he was in school. He asked where I had traveled to in the past 5 years and asked if I had visited my spouse in the US. Asked if I was “ever in trouble with the po-po here or in any other country” (his exact words ;p) Asked who my joint sponsor was and what he did for work. He mentioned that the sponsor was a green card holder as well (i think for the trainee’s purpose) but this wasn’t a problem. He confirmed where I live and where my passport was being sent and then told me my visa was going to be approved! He seemed happy for me, gave me a sheet for instructions on tracking the passport and told me it could take up to 2 weeks and that was it! Went back into the elevator, got my phone and watch and left. I was in and out in an hour and a half.
I have no tips for the interview portion other than tell the truth, it only lasted 5 minutes and was the easiest part of this whole ordeal.
Overall a very easy process after a very hard and long wait from the initial I130 application. I am happy it is over, next is just activating the visa at the airport and I’ll be with my husband and his family for Christmas! Such a blessing.
Hopefully if any other anxiety ridden people are still reading this that I have added enough detail and information to calm some worries. I wouldn’t have gotten through nearly as easy without this platform.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #32778