ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
CanadaMontreal Interview Times?
My packet 3 was logged on the 7th of November and I am still waiting. I am hoping that the start scheduling Feb interviews soon!!
ColleensFemaleCanada2010-01-11 10:01:00
CanadaThings We Need For The K-1 Interview
QUOTE (Danu @ Oct 27 2009, 04:34 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (bogartnoir @ Oct 27 2009, 04:27 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
someone who is smarter and more together than me please begin/add to the list here.


Here goes!

1) your passport and a copy of it
2) DS156 & copy
3) DS156k
4) DS160 confirmation page
5) Birth certificate & copy
6) Police certificate issued withing 1 year of appointment date
7) Updated letter of Intent from Fiance
8) I-134 Affidavit of Support with proof (tax returns, letter from employer, co-sponsors affidavit & evidence if needed)
9) Prior marriage/death/divorce certificates if applicable
10) Court documents if applicable
11) Child documents if applicable
12) Proof of ongoing relationship (phone records, chat logs, new photos etc)
13) Canada Post Xpresspost mailer size 314mm x 394 mm (12"x15")
14) Medical Examination
15) Your appointment letter
16) $131 USD in cash
17) Passport photos (x2) for the visa
18) any originals of stuff you sent with the I-129F that you think they may ask to see (for example photos)

I think thats all.


I have our divorce decrees from previous marriage, but I do not have our marriage certificates from our previous marriages. Are they a requirement? I can understand why you would need the divorve decrees...proving you are free to marry, but what would be the point of the marriage certificates??/
ColleensFemaleCanada2009-10-28 20:25:00
CanadaMontreal Medical Question
I did my medical at Seiden in Montreal and they had the option for them to mail it to me (but I had to pay for it) or to pick it up prior to my interview. I had it done in Sept and I don't have my interview until March, so I will just have to call prior to my interview so they can pull my file and have it ready for me.
ColleensFemaleCanada2010-01-27 19:56:00
CanadaTransport Canada guide to travelling to the US
Damn....I looked back several pages to see if it had been....guess I didn't go back far enough !!!1
ColleensFemaleCanada2010-02-02 11:30:00
CanadaTransport Canada guide to travelling to the US
Luckily I have yet to have to travel to the US with these new standards......lol

ColleensFemaleCanada2010-02-02 11:19:00
CanadaWhat This Thread Needs is More Kittens
Today I awoke to a nice surprise....my sweetie headed out to the humane society this morning and got me a new kitty!!! He is pretty cute. His name was Sharkie at the humane society, but I am not too keen on that, so a new name is pending!!
ColleensFemaleCanada2010-01-30 16:39:00
CanadaWhat This Thread Needs is More Kittens

o hai, did someone say kitties? Parden the intrusion, my neighbors to the north, but when I hear kitties, I'm drawn like mosquitos to a porch light.

This is my Squeaky, the fat and fuzzy (feline) love of my life :luv:

Posted Image
Posted Image


I had a "squeaky" too, but unfortunately I had to have him put down a couple of weeks ago :(
ColleensFemaleCanada2010-01-25 20:54:00
CanadaCanalien Houses
Since I had a fully and newly furnished house in Canada, we will be moving all that stuff down, so technically I picked out all that furniture. But since he had only a futon, tv and bed, we have invested in a few things while I have been here....a better sofa (the futon was killing my back!!!), a little ktichen table and paint colors for the house here, and those were both choices we made together. We have very similar tastes when it comes to decorating so that makes it a bit easier!!!
ColleensFemaleCanada2010-02-04 13:31:00
CanadaMilk in Bags
I grew up in Alberta and remember milk being in a bag for much of my childhood. It changed to cartons at some point and when I moved to Ontario I thought they were so out of date to still have milk in bags!!!

The only thing I really HATED with bagged milk was that they were so suseptible to leaking. I know cartons leak now and then, but it seemed to happen more with the bags then cartons.
ColleensFemaleCanada2010-02-05 16:26:00
CanadaOlympics on ctv.ca
I tried to watch the opening ceremonies on ctv.ca last night, but kept getting a "video error". I thought maybe it was just because of high demand of people trying to watch, but even today any video I try to watch gets the same error. Has anyone been able to watch any video there???
ColleensFemaleCanada2010-02-13 11:36:00
Canadaextending wife's stay while she's here in the states
Both the times I flew to visit my finace from Ottawa (rather than driving and flying out of syracuse) I recieved a stamp and then the border agent wrote in B2. One wrote a date 6 months from entry and the other one was left blank. I am pretty sure that they kept my I-94 as well.
ColleensFemaleCanada2010-02-16 15:27:00
CanadaCanada-to-America Banking (Revisited)
I use RBC Canada/US as well. I opened my accounts before I moved down here. Just go into your local branch and ask to open a RBC Centura or RBC bank USA account. You may have to set up an appt for this. They send all your info down to the US and you will get your bank card/pin/cheques (if ordered) a few weeks later. It is helpful to do this before you leave as the bank card for the US account is different than the one for the canadian account. Transfers are easy and instant. I also band with another canadian bank and I can do an interac e-mail money transfer to my RBC Canada account then a transfer to my american account if needed.

The only drawback is that the RBC centura is more or less only in the South Eastern states (from my knowledge) so if you need a branch to deposit cheques etc it can be difficult. My nearest branch is about 40miles away, but for the odd time I need to go in.....it was the best option for me.
ColleensFemaleCanada2010-02-02 18:59:00
CanadaCanadian vs. American PB, and grocery stores
I am in N Georgia and find the selection for packaged and highly processed foods almost limitless!! And while the cost of produce is cheaper here, I don't find the selection as great. I also find the deli and cheese selections much broader in Canada. One thing I really miss is the selection of ethnic foods that seemed to be availiable pretty much anywhere. Here I find a very large selection of mexican foods, and then maybe a 4' section of asian/thai foods. After looking in about 8 different grocery stores I finally found some curry paste and a selection of about 5 different indian sauces (I really miss a good curry!!). I also find the selection of lower fat options to be not as great here (ie reduced fat cheeses, and yogurts). I love the fact that chicken is super cheap here as well, as I eat a fair bit of it!!!
ColleensFemaleCanada2010-02-23 22:17:00
CanadaCanada to switch to plastic bills next year
I was in Mexico a few yrs ago and they had these types of bills. They were great for when you hit the pool or ocean with money in your pockets!! The bills were really durable, you couldn't tear them like you can the current bills. I really liked them.
ColleensFemaleCanada2010-03-07 21:30:00
CanadaFor those waiting for e-mail response from Mtl
I sent an e-mail on Jan 17 and finally received a response on Friday. So about a 6-7 week wait!!!
ColleensFemaleCanada2010-03-07 22:32:00
CanadaOttawa airport
I never had any issues flying out of Ottawa either, but I only did it a couple of times. I found it worth my while to take the drive down to Syracuse and fly out of there, it usually saved me at least $500 per trip on airfare. So I figured the 2.5hr drive was well worth it!! I never had any issues crossing the border at Hill Island en route to Syracuse.
ColleensFemaleCanada2010-03-13 23:51:00
CanadaAuto Insurance in the U.S.
I have called a few places since the canadian insurance company will no longer cover my car once I POE into the states (it covers you as a visitor, but not once you become a "resident") I called progressive and my fiance asked Geico about insuring my car while it is still registered in Ontario and I still have an Ontario DL and they will both do that. I seem to recall reading somewhere that allstate does the same. Your best bet is to call around and get some quotes from different companies as they can vary by several hundred dollars when it comes to price. Just make sure that they are quoting you the same amount of coverage.
ColleensFemaleCanada2010-02-02 21:48:00
CanadaInterview for May 13th.. Any advice on which Dr to use for medical?
I went to Dr Seiden, and it was pretty easy. He asked me a few basic questions about my medical history, then checked my blood pressure, neck, listened to my breathing and checked my abdomen.....I didn't even have to change into one of those gowns. They didn't do the 'gender' check!! Once that was done, they took my blood samples and sent me off to X-ray. The exam and blood work took all of about 15 mins, then a bit longer for the xray (I actually went to a different xray clinc that day as the one in the building was very backed up (the receptionist at the medical clinic suggested it). The other clinic was about 10 mins away and I ended up getting there just at lunch time, so I don't think it ended being much faster since they stop working at lunch time!! Once they started working again, I was in and out in 10 mins. I think it takes 48 hrs to get your results there.
ColleensFemaleCanada2010-03-26 14:22:00
CanadaApproved!!
Kimbear caputured pretty much all of the details of the interview in her review...I was letter B, so everything was pretty much exactly the same!! I was a bit worried when KnR aka Slider100 were called to room 8 before me eventhough they had letter C. I was only a couple mins behind. I was back at the hotel by 10 and had a HOT shower to warm up as I was still chilled from waiting outside this morning. I had a bit of a nap and then headed back to Ottawa. My POE will be on April 13th from Edmonton. I am going out west to chill with my family for a few weeks before heading back to the US

Congrats to all those appoved today. It appeared to be a very busy day at the consulate!!
ColleensFemaleCanada2010-03-30 14:38:00
CanadaExtended visit advice while CR-1 Processes
I went down to stay with my fiance at the end of Nov after being laid off from my job. I crossed at a land border and was driving to my destination so I didn't have a return ticket. I had a couple of suitcases and a few other personal effects and my dog and cat. When asked what I did for a living I explained that I was just laid off and wanted to go down to visit my fiance for a couple of months until our visa interview was scheduled. He did as me a lot of questions and I did have to give him my mortgage documents as ties to Canada. I think that because my fiance is in the army and that fact that I knew all about the immigration process that helped me. He did have a look at what I was bringing with me and I explained the reasons why I was bringing those items and he didn't seem to have an issue with it. I had a really decent border agent, I think if I had come across someone a little more hardnosed I would have had a different outcome. I would suggest to have your wife's mother do up a formal rental agreement and bring any copies of bills that she may have in her name. And always be honest, and I think being confident is important too....if you are nervous it makes it look like you are not being fully honest and/or have something to hide. Good Luck
ColleensFemaleCanada2010-03-30 23:34:00
CanadaI-134 for the K-1
All I had was the last few years W2's and about the previous 5 pay statements and there was no issue.
ColleensFemaleCanada2010-04-02 14:31:00
Canadavisa wait
It recently took over 6 weeks for me to get a response from the Montreal Consulate. I would definitely call NVC.
ColleensFemaleCanada2010-04-04 23:50:00
CanadaPOE today!!

Wonderful! Welcome to the US - glad your POE and flight were uneventful! So . . . when is the wedding?!:D


We haven't decided on a date, and originally we thought of just having one wedding near as close to the 90 day point (my sister is just finishing up some chemo treatments at the end of the months and it is really important to me that she is able to attend, so we have to wait till her immune system is stronger before she travels), but that would mean at least another 5 months before I could work/claim EI. So I think in the next week or so we are just going to go and do the legal part, so we can get AOS underway, then have the bigger wedding around July :)
ColleensFemaleCanada2010-04-13 16:08:00
CanadaPOE today!!
I POE'd this morning at the Edmonton International Airport. My flight was at 06:45, so I arrived at the airport around 04:30 as that is what time customs opened. After checking in I went to a small waiting area and filled out the declaration form. Security calls people into the CBP area by flight number, so it doesn't really help getting there any earlier than the recommended 2hrs prior to international departure. I got into the CBP area around 04:45 and there was a pretty large line up and only 3 agents working, so it was pretty slow going. At 5 another couple of agents started, so things sped up a bit. I went to the wicket and told them I was activating my visa. The asked a few questions, how we met, how long we knew each other, when the wedding was etc, then escorted me into secondary. I waited about 5 mins and they had me fill the in the I-94. I handed it back in and waited about 15 mins, then they called me up again. I was asked a few more questions about my previous visits to the US and asked again when we were getting married. She attached the I94 into my passport and I was on my way.

So a relatively quick and smooth POE.
ColleensFemaleCanada2010-04-13 15:50:00
Canadatime between mailing packet 3 and interview date (Montreal)
The time varies. Mine was about 4.5 months, some people only wait a month or 2. It will take about 2-3 weeks for Montreal to recieve and log your packet 3 info. Then it is just a matter of waiting for them to schedule. They seem to schedule them in batches every couple of months. You can call the Department of state 202-663-1225 to ask if your packet 3 has been logged (you will need your NVC case # for it will start with MTL) and then to check to see if you have been scheduled an interview. After the first month of waiting I called about once a week to see if I had been scheduled an interview
ColleensFemaleCanada2010-03-28 15:08:00
CanadaK-1 March Interviews !!!

has anyone received there Visas yet in the mail? just curious!

thanks!


I revieved mine last Tuesday (I was one of the March 30th interviews) and did my POE yesterday :)
ColleensFemaleCanada2010-04-14 10:57:00
CanadaK-1 March Interviews !!!
Here's my updated info!


Power house couple - March 8th

L&S - March 9th

bv2116 - March 16th

usmcfiance - March 19th

toronto nonie - March 22nd

Kayla*Mathew - March 23rd (Approved, POE 5/14/2010, civil and legal ceremony on 06/26/2010, and AOS the first week of July)

jmd77 - March 26th (Approved, POE Peace Bridge 4/3/10, civil ceremony 4/23/10, AOS filing between 4/24 and 4/30 depending on county clerk and certified marriage license.)
johnd - March 26th

Kimbear - March 30th
KnR aka slider100 - March 30th
Steflovesbran - March 30th (Approved, POE Toronto Pearson Airport 4/17/2010, Florida beach wedding 6/12/2010, AOS filing last week in June)
Lilmermaid - March 30th
Colleens - March 30th (Approved, POE Edmonton International Airport 4/12/2010, Wedding and AOS TBD)
cookingzombies - March 30th

Maggie-Kennyth - April 8th

Amanda2020 - April 16th
ColleensFemaleCanada2010-03-31 23:35:00
CanadaK-1 March Interviews !!!
Any of the March 30th group interested in meeting up for dinner the night before the interview?? Or for lunch afterwards?
ColleensFemaleCanada2010-03-26 12:33:00
CanadaK-1 March Interviews !!!

Shoo, I want an interview buddy too!!! the 30th needs to share! :P

I can't believe it's already march! 22 days until Mathew's interview!


I will gladly trade you my date on the 30th. As much as I like company.....I could handle being able to get my interview a week earlier!!! :lol:
ColleensFemaleCanada2010-03-01 09:19:00
CanadaK-1 March Interviews !!!
Please add me to the list on Mar 30th!!!
ColleensFemaleCanada2010-01-25 18:18:00
CanadaVisa Arrived
I will be POEing on the 13th at the Edmonton Airport. My flight leaves at 06:45 so I was planning on getting there a bit earlier than the 2hr before international flight that is recommended, but when I asked at the info desk they said that US customs generally won't let anyone thru earlier than 2hrs prior to their flight. So I don't want to get there too early...especially at 4 in the AM if I am not going to be processed. Guess a call to US customs at the airport is in order!!
ColleensFemaleCanada2010-04-07 17:28:00
CanadaVisa Arrived
Not sure if anyone has received their visa's yet, but mine came today, so hopefully all the March 30th crew has or will be getting theirs within the next day or 2! Considering I had it sent out to Alberta from Montreal AND it was a long weekend...a gold star goes out to Canada Post. I have always had decent luck with canada post....knock on wood!!!
ColleensFemaleCanada2010-04-06 18:19:00
CanadaFaxed copy of the Compliance Letter for Vehicle Import
My car may already be in the US when I do my POE.....I am planning on going down to the US to spend christmas and New Years with my fiance and since I am hoping *fingers crossed* to stay for approx 2 months. I am thinking that my interview will be scheduled in that time. So I plan on flying from the US to Montreal for my interview, then going to hang out with my family while I wait for the Visa to be mailed, then fly back to the states. Will I be able to import my car at my POE without the car physically being there? Or will I have to do it at a later date.
ColleensFemaleCanada2009-11-18 13:32:00
CanadaStorage locker near the MTL Consulate??
The check out at my hotel was at noon as well, so I got to the consulate early (06:30ish) and was 2nd in line. I was done and out of the consulate by 10, had time to head back to the hotel for a little nap and shower to warm up!! You can also ask at the hotel about a late check-out and/or many hotels have luggage area's where you can leave your bag for a few hours after check out.
ColleensFemaleCanada2010-04-22 17:57:00
CanadaSSN Application
I did my POE on April 13th, so it has pretty much been 2 weeks. I actually didn't end up going today, so will have to wait till next week. I think that to get put onto my husbands health insurance I need to have a SSN, so I need to do that ASAP!!
ColleensFemaleCanada2010-04-23 12:54:00
CanadaSSN Application

You'll need your marriage cert if you apply under your married name, because it won't match the name on your passport.


I thought it would be best to use the married name. Thank you. I have my marriage certifcate, we got it right away at the courthouse. The lady who handles the marriage licences was super nice, and even gave us an extra certified copy for free. We were telling her all about the immigration process and I think she felt sorry for us!!
ColleensFemaleCanada2010-04-23 11:35:00
CanadaSSN Application
I was going to go and apply for my SSN today. We just got married yesterday, so I am unsure of whether it will be better to apply with my maiden name or my married name. I know I have read many nightmare stories about applying for SSN and the name changes so I just want to avoid any hassle if possible.
ColleensFemaleCanada2010-04-23 10:11:00
CanadaPhysical Exam...K1 visa Montreal?
I had mine done in Nov, and didn't have my interview until the end of March. The office (Dr. Sieden) held the results there. I called a few days before my interview to make arrangements to pick them up a day before.
ColleensFemaleCanada2010-04-24 15:28:00
CanadaApplying EI from US

Ok, definitely something to look into more closely. I was looking here and it says you have to be "available to work in Canada" and actively looking for work (which directs you to Canadian employment links). I'll definitely look more closely into this. Thanks for the tip!


You will not start recieving benefits until you have you EAD or green card, you still must legally be able to work. You still apply within the 4 weeks of leaving your employment, but there will be a bit of a lag in getting benefits. For a K1, you will have to get married, file your AOS (and EAD) and once you get EAD...you should be good to go!!
ColleensFemaleCanada2010-05-02 09:41:00
CanadaPOE Detroit

I believe the OP is activating an IR/CR visa, and as such, I don't think they require an I-94, nor AOS.

You should ensure you get your I-551 stamp, though, as it is your temporary GC. :)

Good luck! And yay for pre-clearance!


I thought I had seen K1 on their profile...my eyes playing tricks on me!!! Thank you for clarifying :)
ColleensFemaleCanada2010-05-03 10:19:00