Consulate Review: Vancouver, Canada
Review Topic: K1 Visa
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| Event |
Description |
| Review Date : |
November 29, 2011 |
| Embassy Review : |
Well, I am not sure what I have to add to the accurate and comprehensive review of Vancouver by Piefre (dated October 6, 2011). A+, Piefre, and thanks for your efforts.
Me: USC
Him: Canadian PR/Egyptian citizen
ON SCHEDULING:
1. We were coming in from Edmonton, so we elected to complete the medical exam two days prior to the interview. This way we could go to the consulate with all documents in hand. That was a low-stress way to do it, and I would recommend it.
2. It was difficult to find reasonable lodging in Vancouver. Hint: AirBNB.com ... We rented a basement suite from Lamar Mali for a week for $300, less than half of what we could find for hotels in the area. Great location, nice quiet neighborhood, ~20 min drive from the consulate/Woking, and an excellent (and helpful) property manager. Tell him that Michael and Amy sent ya.
Link: http://www.airbnb.com/rooms/259737 (This guy also has some nice condos downtown, apparently - maybe even a water view)
ON WOKING MEDICAL CLINIC (11/24/2011 - Thursday):
1. We got a Thursday appointment, instead of the regular Wednesday. We were the second group to arrive at 5:45, but only 22 people/groups were in attendance that day
2. We parked in the lot sharing the block with the medical building. It was $13 for 3.25 hours, payable by credit card only
3. The lady who let us in arrived at 6:20. After the elevator, she told everyone to try to get in the order they were downstairs, which was a nice touch. People were already trying to sneak up in line
4. The waiting room has no working outlets to charge your electronics. There was one outlet on the ground in front of the leftmost sofa exiting the elevator, but it was dead
5. The bathrooms require keys. The keys are hanging to the right of the office as you enter it, on the front of the counter.
6. We walked out of the clinic at 8:20 am
7. We were number 2; they said results would be ready at 1:15, but ours were not until 1:35
8. Important: Plan to be back early to pick up your results. They close at 1:45, as soon as all the results are distributed
ON THE CONSULATE (11/28/2011 - Monday):
0. IMPORTANT: To find a bathroom before or during your eternity waiting in line, you go inside the entrance by the Starbucks and up the bank of elevators to the second floor. There is no bathroom once you go upstairs (20th floor?) to wait for your interview. Brilliant plan. Anyway, you would have to talk to a security guard and have them help you get downstairs and back up again.
1. We got into line around 9:45 am for our 10:00 appointment. The letter directed us to arrive no earlier than 20 minutes. I wish we had, because...
2. We waited until 11:30 to get let into the building. They kept us in the non-citizen line. The line was INSANE. If you get there early and they don\'t let you get in line, there is a Starbucks in the building (to the far left, if you are looking at the entrance line).
3. I was allowed to accompany my fiance up to the waiting room without a problem. I went up to the counter with him for all the paperwork prep. When he was called to the window for the interview with the officer, the officer VERY KINDLY (so very politely!) informed me that he did not need to ask me anything for the interview and asked me to wait in the waiting area. I still think it may have been helpful that I popped my head in. We had a lot of trips in our history, and I had documented all of those, plus phone records, Skype, emails, and a letter from his parents and translated by his sister, an updated letter of intent from each of us, a letter from his sister, and about 15 pictures - he didnt want to see any of it.
4. The interview window is extremely, awkwardly, stupidly public. All of the interview windows had a row of seats for waiting in front of them. Seriously?!
5. I asked the clerk, and she said that the Vancouver embassy does not want the two passport pictures attached to the two DS-156 forms.
6. IMPORTANT: Although the instructions said the passport photos required a white or off-white background, our light, off-white background raised an eyebrow. She said she was not sure if the computer would accept this. It did, but to save yourself some unnecessary stress, make sure its a bright white background for the passport photos. You can take yours in good lighting and upload them to epassportphoto.com which formats them to 4 on a 4x6-inch photo for free. Cut them out yourself and save some cash. Follow the great directions on the DOS photo requirements page - no shadows on the face. (Our problem was that the walls were cream colored; I have done it before on a white wall with no problems.)
7. They kept the originals for the police certificates and the employer letter; they gave all the rest back. I paperclipped the required photocopies to each of the originals; this seemed acceptable. (If you do not bring photocopies, they will keep the originals.)
8. The convenience store across the street that keeps your electronics/bags for $5 was great. It was actually labeled, SMOKE SHOP. It was immediately to the left of the Purolator, which is at the end of the block (to the right, if you are walking out of the embassy line). We left a box of papers with a Blackberry, a USB drive, and keys, without a problem.
9. Nothing stood out from the questions of the male officer - they mostly centered around my (USC sponsor) job and our marriage plans. My fiance told him that we were planning a civil marriage as soon as we cross the border, and then a church wedding in a few months. He liked that. Also, this part touched me - my fiance told him we had wanted to get married on 11/11/11, because it was our one-year anniversary. The guy seemed sad and said that he wished he had known, because he would have tried to speed it up. So close. :-/ Oh, well!
10. The clerk told us the visa might even be printed today, if they didn't have any more computer problems, but that we would have it no later than the end of the week. We did not receive any indication of AP, but I am not holding my breath. I will celebrate once we have the visa in hand and are queued up at the border crossing. 
11. We exited the consulate at 12:50.
ON VJ:
Thanks for everything, VisaJourney. I have shared the URL to this most valuable community with several other people that we met at the medical exam. You are a treasure. Who needs a lawyer?
I especially appreciate the ladies who kindly helped us with our delayed Egyptian police certificate issue. Camiandamr and Om&Abo Malik, you are awesome.
(updated on November 28, 2011)
(updated on November 29, 2011)
(updated on November 29, 2011)
(updated on November 29, 2011)
(updated on November 29, 2011) |
| Rating : |
Very Good |
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ver 5.0