|
|
| Montreal, Canada |  Review on June 12, 2010: |
Golden_State
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
I'm so excited to be at this stage in my visa journey where I'm writing a review of the Montreal consulate, not obsessively checking other people's reviews every day to calm my nerves  My experience at the consulate was the same as all of the other reviews I've read here, so instead of going into minute detail about everything, I'll share my top 5 tips about how to survive the experience.
1. Arrive no later than 6:30. We got there at 6:35 and if we were a second later, we would have gone up in the second group of people. They seem to let a bunch of people in at a time to clear security and be let upstairs. We were upstairs for about 20 minutes-half an hour before the second group even got there. Being even a couple of minutes late would probably ended up costing us an hour of time waiting.
2. Have something to eat or drink while waiting in line outside of the consulate. For me, this was the most stressful time and it was good to have a distraction. That being said, keep in mind that you could be waiting from 6:30 to 7:30 to get inside, and then another 30 minutes or so before you can access a bathroom
3. Make sure you have $350 in USD. We saw another couple who didn't know this. The petitioner ran downstairs to the bank and was gone at least 45 minutes. Not sure if he had to go through security all over again, but needless to say, it delayed them for quite awhile.
4. Stay calm. Everyone who works at the consulate is kind and pleasant. It's not like the people who work at the border. If you're prepared, you'll be ok.
5. Don't bring anything "extra" to the consulate. Take only the papers/your wallet/hotel key and you'll get through security faster. You don't need to bring the X Ray.
The document review, fingerprinting, and interview will be over before you know it. Like Tom Petty says, the waiting is the hardest part, and chances are, anyone going through the K-1 visa process is already a pro at waiting.
| |
|
Consulate / USCIS Member Review #6199