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| Montreal, Canada |  Review on March 24, 2011: |
gnothiseauton
Rating:  | Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
Hi all:
First of all, a huge thank you to VisaJourney.com! It answered many of my concerns and provided tips to make the nerve-breaking process much easier. My interview was on 3/21 in Montreal and it went like a breeze, like many on VJ said! (but i still could hardly sleep at all the night before...)
For those who don't want to read through the entire post, here are my suggestions based on my experience:
1. Don't bring a large bag: Better yet, don't bring any bag but a plastic shopping bag and a folder. On my way out of the consulate, there were quite a few people who were refused entry because the size of their bags.
2. Fill DS-230 even if you've filled DS-260: Montreal somehow wasn't equipped to handle electronic processing.
3. Bring an extra photocopy of all original documents
4. Arrive early regardless of your appointment time. It's first-come-first-serve.
Ok here is my interview experience:
I arrived at the embassy door at 6:40am and was the first in line - i can see why people commented that it was difficult to locate the entrance. The glass door is tucked away in a relatively small street and looked unimpressive for what people usually expect for an US consulate. There was a sign on the door stating that no big bags/purses are allowed, nor are food, beverages and liquids. All i had was a plastic shopping bag containing my X-ray, medical exams and an organizing folder with documents inside. A family of four arrived shortly after me, followed by a couple a few minutes later. By 7:15 there were around 11 of us waiting outside, all of whom only carried a plastic shopping bag with them, very likely to be members of this site, no? 
Security guards opened the door at 7:15, checked our appointment letters and led us through security check, just your standard airport empty-your-pocket procedure. Afterwards i was instructed to wait in the basement until 8:00 and aha, there was the elevator that I should sit next to, according to previous VJ members' suggestions. A guard came at 8:00, asked those who came for immigration purpose to follow him into the elevator. I was the first one in and hence stood all the way in the back, which was great, because the elevator opened from the other side!
Once we left the elevator, the guard lined us up to get a number card. Mine is C-1. I sat down, and after less than 3 minutes, was called to window 7 where a very friendly lady reviewed my original documents, medical exam results and took my fingerprints.
This was when i was especially thankful for sites like VJ. Many members here suggested bringing a photocopy of ALL original documents AND filling form DS-230 even if you chose electronic processing, which means you have already filled DS-260 and submitted it with all documents online. These are something i'd never think of and thank god for their advices, because i was indeed asked for DS-230 plus extra photocopies of both birth and police certificate! Of course there was also the option of filling DS 230 on site, but that would just add extra stress to an already stressful day...
I was told to sit down and wait for my interview. Within 10 minutes, my name was called. It was reasonably loud and clear. I was instructed to window 7, where another nice woman was waiting to interview me, smiling. She went through my documents and in an almost chit-chatting way, asked me how I met my husband, when did we meet. When she found out that we've dated for more than 10 years, she jokingly said "Did you have to make him ask?" (Frankly i still found this to be amazing. Staffs in the Montreal US consulate are much more friendlier than some employees in the hospitality industry!) She also asked where we got married and after that, she said "You've registered on DHL? Ok, you'll likely receive the visa with your passport within 1 week."
I blanked out, stilling expecting a magic sentence along the line of "based on the information you provided, I could approve the VISA", so i asked "is it done?" She laughed and said "Yes! It's just like that for an easy case like yours."
So here I am, typing reviews for montreal consulate, and just received a phone message saying that my visa is available for pick up, only 2 days after my interview. Good job, Montreal and thanks again to all members on VJ!
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #7309