Consulate Review: Vancouver, Canada
Review Topic:
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| Event |
Description |
| Review Date : |
May 31, 2012 |
| Embassy Review : |
My interview was scheduled for May 24, 2012 and medical was May 23, 2012. I could have interviewed weeks earlier, but a pending trip to visit my fiance pushed me to postpone this until after that trip.
Woking medical. After a small panic about some vaccinations and emails, I was assured I had everything needed and off I went. My son and I arrived in Vancouver Tuesday May 22 and stayed at Terminal City Club. Not the cheapest place to stay, but it was an awesome room 1/2 block from Canada place with a pool and everything we needed. A bit of a walk to Woking ( we booked a cab for 5:30am ). Wed am, take a cab to Woking. We were first to arrive and realized we got there maybe a bit too early. We walked across the street to Esso for some Tims donuts and coffee and walked back and were still first. Around 5:50 a couple other people showed up. Started talking to one gentleman who was nice and he asked a couple questions and I mentioned VJ and he hadn't heard of it but wish he had  ARound 6:10 there were about 15 of us and two ladies came up to let us in. Nobody mentioned the stay in line and order of arrival routine but I made sure we were first. Once we loaded into the elevator, I realized now we will be last out. We all went up to the counter to take our numbers and everyone made way for us to take 1 and 2 We sat down and then the lady talked about the forms and what needed to be done. I proceed to fill out the form and hand it in. She immediately tells me " no good, we have to do a new one " Craaaaaap.. My check marks were too big and encroached into the yes boxes and the govt. wont accept it. So, now I'm waiting for new forms (x2 no less) and everyone else is handing theirs in. There goes # 1 spot  I fill them out again, this time acceptable and sit back down and wait. About 20 mins later I get the go ahead for the blood test. Piece of cake, it's a short distance through a set of doors. I imagined it to be a longer walk but it's not. Once I got out of the blood lab, I did jump ahead back to the front of the line which was nice. I get set back a little in the beginning, but retained my number 1 spot after. The waiting room is central to everything and you are close at all times to everything. After blood test, straight to the xray. The xray lab is right in front of the waiting area and it was just mintues from handing in my form and passport page photocopy til getting called in.
** You need two copies of the info page of your passport. One for blood, one for xray. I have had some questionable chest xrays in the past so i had copies of the reports showing that a spot has been noticed and ruled scar tissue. This was helpful and I was told good to bring if you have something similar.
After the xray it was about a 20 minute wait to get called into the dr. exam room. My son and I went in together. He was examined first. Basic exam, ears nose throat reflexes, listen to heart and lungs a quick look at arms and legs and then he had to have the goods checked with a couple coughs and a quick walk across the room and off he went. The nurse took him out to go do vision test and weight etc. Dr. then checks me. Undress down to undies and cover up with paper. All is going well until
* ladies, if you haven't, get a quick exam before to spare yourself of my derail here. Men, skip down a bit. Dr is checking my abdomen. She then askes if I'm pregnant.. uh, no.. Definately not if you know what i mean.. She says she can feel my uterus and that is is high up, hard and showing about 16 weeks at a guess. I am freaking out at this point. She tells me that it sure feels that i'm pregnant and she can't clear me until she knows. The lab there isn't set up for this so I have to go find a home preg. test and bring it back. All else checks out, I get dressed and she tells me to go do this and come back.
It's about 9 am now and I'm walking down Burrard in Van. with my son on the phone to FI hysterical. I find a test, head back and the Dr. ( the female dr. name escapes me at this point) takes me aside and hands me a cup to go fill and we do the test. It finally comes up negative and she's 99% sure that I have a large fibroid, tells me I will clear the medical pending xray and gave me a note to take home for my dr. It was tense for a while. After that, I was told to come back at 1:15 to pick up the results. We wander around for a while and it's pouring rain. Start heading back and everyone arrives for results. Most people are getting called up to the desk, a 2 minute chat, they get their papers and head out. I get called up finally and the Dr. takes me into her office.. Double crap..... Ugh.. She tells me my xray came back clear!! And I passed medical but she insists I promise to see my dr. ASAP. It was nice that she made sure I was okay and that she took the extra time to go over everything.
Medical over!! Time to relax for the rest of the day.
Woking notes.
At my appointment, I was told that you no longer need 3 passport photos. One colour photo is all they need. Info hasn't been updated, but that is what goes on now. I left with two photos.
Blood test is easy and fast.
xray basic. Remove everything waist up and in and out of there in less than 5 mins. If you have kids with you, the waiting area is central to all three areas and older kids are fine to wait alone. Kids under 15 do NOT REQUIRE blood test or xray
Total time, arrived at 5:40am was out of there 1:45.. Took 2 walking trips around downtown, long day. Staff are excellent and kind. Just be careful with the forms
Thursday, Interview.
We left the hotel at 9:00am. We were about 4 blocks away and got there very quickly. It was easy to find as we walked up towards the side of the building where the US consulate has security set up. There were about 6 people at various points outside. We waited a few minutes, did the last check of stuff and headed towards the first check point. I had a 1 inch binder with a copy of the original petition, a plastic envelope sleeve with required docs for us both, the medical papers ( sealed envelope ) all in a small Roots store tote bag. Hoping I could keep everything, the tote bag fit the bill and I was allowed in. No electronics, lighters anything like that. At the first check, you hand over your passport and sealed medical envelope. They look up something, ask what you are there for and then wave you through to the line up for US Visa. We go through the ropes to the next line up and nobody was ahead of us. Seconds later, a guard opens the door, and motions us to come in. Security again. All belongings into a wooden tray, go through scanner. They will hand the tray back to you after. Gather all your stuff, hand the tray to the officer and up some stairs, through a door to a waiting area for the elevators. A guard will ask what visa, then you will be told to wait and then they will escort you up to the 21 floor. Security check again ( just papers and name) and you are let into the next waiting area. We were told to wait for booth B ( to the left of the door) and flick the switch. There was someone there at the booth, a man standing waiting behind them as well. Once the first two were done, I walked over, flicked the switch and someone told me to wait a minute. A nice man came over and we started. He took all my papers required, I sort of had them in order but he started taking them and put them in order for me checking things as we went. All went well ** K2 note. I had a notartized letter from my sons father with permission to move. We were never married and never went to court for anything so I was a little worried the letter wasn't enough even though an email to the consulate told me so. The letter was enough and all my papers were correct and he told us to sit down and wait a bit for a number. It was crazy busy there and I think they were a little scrambled. About 10 mins go by, he calls me back up and gives me a number and says to wait for the booth 3 ( finger print ). This was a long wait, I'd say 40 mins. I was suprised to see that they interview people right there in front of the waiting people. I heard one girl get denied for tourist visa cause she basically had no papers. Nothing. Felt bad for her, but thought how do you get to that point and not bring a piece of paper with you? Get called up for fingerprints, easy quick and sit back down. About 10 mins later get called up to booth 4 for interview. Super nice guy, do the swear to marry in 90 days oath, he starts going through papers, says.. yup, good.. good, yup.. He asks me so you're heading to Seattle? I said yup. " What kind of work do you do? I tell him right now I'm not working, but hope to start up my business once all the paperwork goes through. He says sounds good. " How long have you known each other"? I say about 6 years, relationship almost 3. Good. Asks my son what does he do for a living, my son is quite and I say " xbox" and he laughs. He is scanning the docs I mention I have updated photos and some other stuff and he says nope, looks good I'm confident you have a bonafide relationship. He see's the receipt and paper work for my ring, mentions it and I flash it and he says nice bling! And he then says. I feel good about approving your visa, blah blah blah.. Adios! It was very relaxed, easy and nice chatter. Totally not what I expected. We sit back down for a few minutes, get called up to booth B and get instructions for what to do. Loomis will send Visa, watch for an email, keep sealed envelope sealed, hand to border guard. All the basic info we know at this point. Can only enter once, have 6 months to do so, 90 days to marry and then fil AOS.
We were out of the consulate by 11:30 so two hours total. Sooo relieved and happy!! It's finally over and not one screw up!! I do the happy dance outside and run to hotel to get my phone and call fiance!
Consulate notes.
Security outside is intense. Do not attempt to bring anything other than paper with you lol.
Once upstairs, it's pretty straight forward. Booth B, wait. Booth 3 for finger prints, wait, booth __ for interview, back to booth b for instructions.. done.
I had all the papers and was happy I didn't mess up. With a K1 and K2 i was a little worried about how to present them. I kept mine separate and paper clipped. And my sons separate. It didn't matter too much as they put them in order behind the window.
Interview was May 24, I got the email from Loomis the night of May 30th ( Tuesday ) Phone call May 31 Wed morning and picked up the package Wed afternoon. With the holiday Monday, that was 3 days!!
I'm leaving out all the specs for papers cause I honestly don't remember the form names. Nothing seemed diffrent from previous reviews.
That night, my fiance came up from Seattle and we headed to the island to celebrate for 3 nights Two months from today we drive down to POE and start the next chapter.
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| Rating : |
Very Good |
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ver 5.0