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| Montreal, Canada |  Review on August 19, 2011: |
CougarFan
Rating:  | Review Topic: General Review
I finally can write this!
Well, I am from Alberta, and have never been to Montreal. We paid about $1300 just to get out here for my medical and interview, so I wanted to help people from other provinces first and foremost save some money if they do have to come out here for an interview.
Firstly, we stayed at an apartment in Montreal through a reservation on AirBNB.com. We paid $30/night for a private room (all told, we paid $184 for 5 nights and 6 days). I was lucky enough to have my interview on Friday, August 19, so that meant that the last day we could do the medical was Monday, August 15. When you don't have to hang around over the weekend waiting for the interview, that saves some cash. We are starving students - the more money we can save, the better!
For those who are interested in taking the Metro around Montreal (which is much cheaper and easier than any other option), we loved it and were so glad we didn't go through the hassle of renting a car. It was $25/each for an entire week's worth of transport (bus and metro, unlimited). Best money we ever spent!
I had my medical done at MediSys a few hours after arriving from Calgary. A few pokes and prods, x-ray, and blood test, and I was out of there in just over an hour. They were efficient and nice, and much cheaper than the competition. (I paid $213, I believe the other is $235).
We had a good holiday in Montreal - we saw all the sights! (And we're not done yet!) It was fun that this Sunday (August 21) is our one year anniversary, just 2 days before the interview! It was a good way to celebrate 
We went to pick up the medical results Thursday. They like you to call before you come get them, to ensure there are no problems.
Okay, Friday! What you have all been waiting for...
We arrived at the Embassy at 6 AM. The Metro station nearest to the embassy is Square-Victoria, it's just down the block (a 5 minute walk, tops). We were in line alone for about an hour, and other people began arriving shortly after 7. Follow the advice "VJers gone past" about security...however, times are changing at the Embassy with the elevator! For some reason, according to him, the guard only let "immigrant" visas go up first. It didn't make any sense, he was just picking the people he helped get through security. People who had been in line with us, waiting well before the others, didn't get to come up with the rest of us, and I happen to know they were indeed, going for an immigrant visa as well. I'm not sure what that was all about. Either way, we managed to convince him that we were going for an immigrant visa, and we were in the elevator on the first round.
When we got to the 19th floor, the guards told us it didn't matter in which line we stood in. I was first, and stood in the "wait here for a number" line. Other people started lining up next to me, in a differently labelled line. When the windows were opened, the lady behind the window asked where there were two lines, so the people standing in the wrong line had to all stand at the back of my line. I was C-1
The interview went as has been before mentioned in other reviews. Nothing too new. I won't bother writing it, it was a very predictable process if you have read the reviews. I echo VJers gone past and say, be sure to bring a DS-260 (DS-230) filled out.
Sad news everyone - I'm not sure if the blonde lady is still working there! We saw no sign of her. We did remember reading in another review that she was training someone else, so perhaps she left. Either way, a very nice African-American girl with dread-locks did our interview. She was very mellow and calm, and reminded us to not be nervous. She laughed at my husband, as he was beaming with excitement throughout the whole interview ("I have never seen anyone so excited to be here before!")
Interview was typical. Questions were:
How did you meet? (I met my husband on an internship in the States, so she asked a few questions about that, what I specifically did, what the name of the company was, etc.)
What does your husband do for work?
What are your plans when you move down there?
She really expounded on the questions, which I was a bit surprised by. She really wanted to know all of the details. Just be honest, smile, look them in the eye, and relax. As cliche as it is, it's totally fine.
She got up to go to the printer to get something, and came back with...don don don...a refusal letter. My heart sank. She said, "Everything looks good, but there is a problem with one of your documents. Your Police Record Check was a regional check, and you need a national check." A-ha!
That is a problem that was easily solved. When I had the check done a few months ago, I noticed the same thing - so I called the police department to ask them if they did a national check. It was a national check, it just stated it on the back of the certificate, not the front. The front only stated it was regional. So make sure you check on that on your certificate. Once I explained that to her, she was fine with everything! She slipped me my welcome letter, and that was the end of it!
We were back in the apartment by 10 AM to make the phone calls to family!
Good luck!
PS - I am giving the consulate a 3...I was not impressed with that guard at the elevator! It wasn't a fair system at all, and the person giving our interview should have checked my Police Check more thoroughly before refusing us. Could you imagine if I didn't call the police department, and didn't know that information? I would have been heartbroken if I was actually refused for something that was her error!
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #8145