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Montreal Interview Tracker -- Part DeuX [Ara2000, AttaBoy, CDN_CPER, Dongky, Enduring, GC Indian, Ja
- Thread starter gcDrone
- Start date
muffin1973
Registered Users (C)
Prithis,
Thanks for the congratulations. I couldn't have done it without all the help from this board.
I eagerly check the mail everyday...once we get the cards, we're going to have a celebration.
Muffin1973
Thanks for the congratulations. I couldn't have done it without all the help from this board.
I eagerly check the mail everyday...once we get the cards, we're going to have a celebration.
Muffin1973
Prithis and Muffin:
Congratualtions to all your success! Very encouraging.
Prithis,
In your doc, you mentioned, " 'name check' PCC done through International Fingerprinting Services (a company contracted by RCMP), Scarborough branch in Toronto. Received PCC in 5 days ...".
Can you list the contact information for this service? My wife is still living in Scarborough, it might save her some time. How long do you have to wait in the line for the 'name check' PCC? Is it possible for Canadian living abroad to do name check or "have to do finger print"?
Appreciated,
Frank
Congratualtions to all your success! Very encouraging.
Prithis,
In your doc, you mentioned, " 'name check' PCC done through International Fingerprinting Services (a company contracted by RCMP), Scarborough branch in Toronto. Received PCC in 5 days ...".
Can you list the contact information for this service? My wife is still living in Scarborough, it might save her some time. How long do you have to wait in the line for the 'name check' PCC? Is it possible for Canadian living abroad to do name check or "have to do finger print"?
Appreciated,
Frank
xzxth
I believe the name check PCC is available only to residents in Canada. This can be done at International Fingerprinting Services Canada. Their office locations are listed on www.policecheck.com. They have an office in Scarborough. If your wife is living in Scarborough she can get it done there. They are open Monday-Saturday. No appointment is necessary. You need to take a ticket and wait for about 20 minutes before your turn comes. In case of name check they ask for 2 pieces of ID, one of which must prove that you are a Canadian resident. I provided my Ontario drivers license, Canadian PR card and Indian passport. They do not take fingerprints for this type of PCC. You will be required to pick up the PCC after 5 days. This is an official document and is issued by RCMP. This was also accepted by the Montreal Consulate without question in my case.
In case you are living outside Canada, officially you will need to get the finger-print based PCC. This takes several months. I have not done my PCC this way, but the info is available on http://www.rcmp.ca/crimrec/finger2_e.htm#Obtain. If you can prove that you are a Canadian resident you may want to try the easier route. However if in your GC application you have already implied that you are not a Canadian resident, this easier route may not work and the PCC may be rejected. So depending on your situation, you may want to play safe and get a finger-print PCC for yourself.
Prithis
I believe the name check PCC is available only to residents in Canada. This can be done at International Fingerprinting Services Canada. Their office locations are listed on www.policecheck.com. They have an office in Scarborough. If your wife is living in Scarborough she can get it done there. They are open Monday-Saturday. No appointment is necessary. You need to take a ticket and wait for about 20 minutes before your turn comes. In case of name check they ask for 2 pieces of ID, one of which must prove that you are a Canadian resident. I provided my Ontario drivers license, Canadian PR card and Indian passport. They do not take fingerprints for this type of PCC. You will be required to pick up the PCC after 5 days. This is an official document and is issued by RCMP. This was also accepted by the Montreal Consulate without question in my case.
In case you are living outside Canada, officially you will need to get the finger-print based PCC. This takes several months. I have not done my PCC this way, but the info is available on http://www.rcmp.ca/crimrec/finger2_e.htm#Obtain. If you can prove that you are a Canadian resident you may want to try the easier route. However if in your GC application you have already implied that you are not a Canadian resident, this easier route may not work and the PCC may be rejected. So depending on your situation, you may want to play safe and get a finger-print PCC for yourself.
Prithis
Last edited by a moderator:
Hard-to-obtain PCCs
Visa1:
I had to get PCCs from Tanzania and UAE, apart from India (my citizenship) and Canada (my residence). The Tanzanian PCC took about 4 months. The PCC was over 18 months old by the time I went for the interview. It was accepted without question. I suppose that since I had never visited Tanzania since I left that country, it was okay. My UAE PCC was very difficult to get. I tried on my own but failed. Finally I got a friend who lives in the UAE to get it on my behalf. The UAE PCC was also about 18 months old. However that caused no problem for the same reason.
My Indian and Canadian PCCs were recent (each were less than 6 months old), and that was what they look for.
My advice for hard-to-get PCCs is:
1. Check if the country in question actually issues PCCs, and if they do, whether they issue them to non-residents. The best way to do this would be to check the most recent version of the DSL-1083 form from the DOS web-site.
2. Send all overseas PCC applications by registered mail/courier and save copies of the proof of delivery.
3. Follow up if possible by calling the police department in question. This can be extremely frustrating because of language barriers and the general ineptness of police departments.
4. Using a friend who lives in that country. This really worked out for me for my UAE PCC.
Prithis
Visa1:
I had to get PCCs from Tanzania and UAE, apart from India (my citizenship) and Canada (my residence). The Tanzanian PCC took about 4 months. The PCC was over 18 months old by the time I went for the interview. It was accepted without question. I suppose that since I had never visited Tanzania since I left that country, it was okay. My UAE PCC was very difficult to get. I tried on my own but failed. Finally I got a friend who lives in the UAE to get it on my behalf. The UAE PCC was also about 18 months old. However that caused no problem for the same reason.
My Indian and Canadian PCCs were recent (each were less than 6 months old), and that was what they look for.
My advice for hard-to-get PCCs is:
1. Check if the country in question actually issues PCCs, and if they do, whether they issue them to non-residents. The best way to do this would be to check the most recent version of the DSL-1083 form from the DOS web-site.
2. Send all overseas PCC applications by registered mail/courier and save copies of the proof of delivery.
3. Follow up if possible by calling the police department in question. This can be extremely frustrating because of language barriers and the general ineptness of police departments.
4. Using a friend who lives in that country. This really worked out for me for my UAE PCC.
Prithis
Last edited by a moderator:
PR card
Prithis:
From your experience I understand they asked you for your Canadian PR card. Any idea why? I sent in my PR landing papers to them with pk-3. Did you do that as well? Even with the landing papers in hand they still asked for your PR card?
Thank you for the info regarding PCC.
Prithis:
From your experience I understand they asked you for your Canadian PR card. Any idea why? I sent in my PR landing papers to them with pk-3. Did you do that as well? Even with the landing papers in hand they still asked for your PR card?
Thank you for the info regarding PCC.
Visa1:
I did send them a photocopy of my Canadian PR card (not the landing papers) with my pkt 3. Yet the person who was checking my documentation (not the interviewer) wanted to see my PR card. I guess he just wanted to verify the original. No particular reason.
If you have received your Canadian PR card, be sure to carry it with you to the interview, as chances are high that they will ask to see it if your Consulate is Montreal.
Prithis
I did send them a photocopy of my Canadian PR card (not the landing papers) with my pkt 3. Yet the person who was checking my documentation (not the interviewer) wanted to see my PR card. I guess he just wanted to verify the original. No particular reason.
If you have received your Canadian PR card, be sure to carry it with you to the interview, as chances are high that they will ask to see it if your Consulate is Montreal.
Prithis
prithis:
thank you for the response. Another question. At the Poe did the US immigration officer ask you to turn in your PR card to him? Are we not supposed to return it to the canadian immigration? How can they ask you for your canadian PR card? does not make sense to me. hmmm
What was your expetrience at the canadian side of the border?
thank you for the response. Another question. At the Poe did the US immigration officer ask you to turn in your PR card to him? Are we not supposed to return it to the canadian immigration? How can they ask you for your canadian PR card? does not make sense to me. hmmm
What was your expetrience at the canadian side of the border?
Visa1:
Yes, during the POE, the US Immigration officer did ask me to surrender the Canadian PR cards to him. After I insisted that I would be surrendering my Canadian PR cards in June, after moving to the US, he checked with his supervising officer and backed off. He did mention that he had put a note in my file to the effect that I had a Canadian PR and would be required to surrender it within "a reasonable time".
Since my POE I have travelled between USA and Canada several times. Usually while entering the USA through Pearson airport it has been very smooth, as I now have the plastic card (even without the plastic card it was smooth - I showed the I-551 stamp on my passport). Each time I explain to the US officer that I got the Green Card recently, I still live in Toronto, and will be moving permanently to the US in June, and in the meanwhile I am travelling to the US to work. I have never faced any problems during the US entry with these answers, which by the way, are absolutely true.
Except the first time, none of the US officers have asked me to surrender my Canadian PR.
On the Canadian side it has been smooth except for one occassion. Usually I present my Canadian PR card to the Canadian officer, and sometimes the officer will just scan my card and send me on my way. If I am asked about the purpose of my visit to the US, I answer honestly and say that I got a US Green Card recently, and will be moving to the USA in June and giving up my Canadian PR. Usually the Canadian officer is okay with this after checking my details on the computer. On one occassion I was asked to go for secondary questioning in a seperate hall, where another officer asked me the same questions, checked my Canadian PR card as well as US Green Card, entered some notes into the computer, and then sent me on my way.
As I am genuinely planning to surrender my Canadian PR so as not to jeopardize my US green card, I have little to worry about. The trick is to keep the answers honest and consistent, so that they do not find any contradictions. Also, you must keep in mind that they have access to each other's systems, so the answers must be honest and consistent on both sides. In end-June I will stop travelling to Canada, and then this weekly encounter with the immigration will stop.
Prithis
Yes, during the POE, the US Immigration officer did ask me to surrender the Canadian PR cards to him. After I insisted that I would be surrendering my Canadian PR cards in June, after moving to the US, he checked with his supervising officer and backed off. He did mention that he had put a note in my file to the effect that I had a Canadian PR and would be required to surrender it within "a reasonable time".
Since my POE I have travelled between USA and Canada several times. Usually while entering the USA through Pearson airport it has been very smooth, as I now have the plastic card (even without the plastic card it was smooth - I showed the I-551 stamp on my passport). Each time I explain to the US officer that I got the Green Card recently, I still live in Toronto, and will be moving permanently to the US in June, and in the meanwhile I am travelling to the US to work. I have never faced any problems during the US entry with these answers, which by the way, are absolutely true.
Except the first time, none of the US officers have asked me to surrender my Canadian PR.
On the Canadian side it has been smooth except for one occassion. Usually I present my Canadian PR card to the Canadian officer, and sometimes the officer will just scan my card and send me on my way. If I am asked about the purpose of my visit to the US, I answer honestly and say that I got a US Green Card recently, and will be moving to the USA in June and giving up my Canadian PR. Usually the Canadian officer is okay with this after checking my details on the computer. On one occassion I was asked to go for secondary questioning in a seperate hall, where another officer asked me the same questions, checked my Canadian PR card as well as US Green Card, entered some notes into the computer, and then sent me on my way.
As I am genuinely planning to surrender my Canadian PR so as not to jeopardize my US green card, I have little to worry about. The trick is to keep the answers honest and consistent, so that they do not find any contradictions. Also, you must keep in mind that they have access to each other's systems, so the answers must be honest and consistent on both sides. In end-June I will stop travelling to Canada, and then this weekly encounter with the immigration will stop.
Prithis
Last edited by a moderator:
Prithis:
Did you receive separate Immigration visa envelops to take to the border, as your wife and family were to follow you to the US at a later date? Does your family have an Immigration visa 'sealed envelope' to take with them to the border in June when you move to the US for good?
Did you specifically mention in your DS 230 that your spouse and kids would follow after you to the US?
Thank you.
Did you receive separate Immigration visa envelops to take to the border, as your wife and family were to follow you to the US at a later date? Does your family have an Immigration visa 'sealed envelope' to take with them to the border in June when you move to the US for good?
Did you specifically mention in your DS 230 that your spouse and kids would follow after you to the US?
Thank you.
muffin1973
Registered Users (C)
I can answer this one for Prithis. The Consulate will give EACH immigrant a separate envelope with a purple colored visa stapled to the outside of the envelope (photocopy this as it has your A# on it). In my case, one for me and one for my wife. The deal is that the principal applicant must enter first, then the derivative beneficiaries may follow - or immigrate at the same time. One has SIX months from the issuance of the visa to enter the United States.
There is no place in the DS230 to distinguish between a same entry and a different entry for family.
Muffin1973
There is no place in the DS230 to distinguish between a same entry and a different entry for family.
Muffin1973
lucienmike
Registered Users (C)
Muffin1973, first of all congratulations on your successful interview in Montreal. I live in Montreal and am expeced to have the immgration interview in the coming months. I have no family doctor here, so I want to know where I can get the vaccination record and if I can get it in the medical exam clinic. I know there are two clinics in Montreal, one is Howard Seiden and the other is the one where you passed. Which is better? Thanks.
Of-171
From this forum I understand that OF-171 is the appointment letter (that arrived with the PK-4) for the consular interview. But I don't see a mention of OF-171 anywhere in the appointment letter.
Is it really the appointment letter?
Appreciate any information. Thanks
From this forum I understand that OF-171 is the appointment letter (that arrived with the PK-4) for the consular interview. But I don't see a mention of OF-171 anywhere in the appointment letter.
Is it really the appointment letter?
Appreciate any information. Thanks
muffin:
DS 230 PART I Questions 21a and 21b ask specifically names of dependents who might follow the primary applicant to the US.
I was wondering if Prithis mentioned here that his family would follow him at a later date to the US. Probably that was why he was handed separate envelops. (I am assuming this because I don't know if he was handed one single envelope or separate ones)
Thanks
DS 230 PART I Questions 21a and 21b ask specifically names of dependents who might follow the primary applicant to the US.
I was wondering if Prithis mentioned here that his family would follow him at a later date to the US. Probably that was why he was handed separate envelops. (I am assuming this because I don't know if he was handed one single envelope or separate ones)
Thanks
visa1,
I will try and respond to both your posts here.
a) Form OF-171 is another name for the appointment letter. Don't worry if
you don't see the form number on the sheet.
b) Whether the candidate and the dependents are travelling together or not,they will get independent visa packets.
Raju
I will try and respond to both your posts here.
a) Form OF-171 is another name for the appointment letter. Don't worry if
you don't see the form number on the sheet.
b) Whether the candidate and the dependents are travelling together or not,they will get independent visa packets.
Raju
visa1
I did NOT mention in the interview anything about seperate envelopes for my family, as we were planning to do the POE together as a family. However, when we got the visas we found that they had issued 4 seperate sealed envelopes with the individual visas stapled on top. The visas for my wife and kids had the words "VALID ONLY IF ACCOMPANYING OR FOLLOWING TO JOIN SPOUSE/PARENT" stamped on top.
I was surprised at getting 4 seperate packets instead of one, but as this did not pose any problems for me (in fact it gave me more flexibility), I accepted the packets and left.
Prithis
I did NOT mention in the interview anything about seperate envelopes for my family, as we were planning to do the POE together as a family. However, when we got the visas we found that they had issued 4 seperate sealed envelopes with the individual visas stapled on top. The visas for my wife and kids had the words "VALID ONLY IF ACCOMPANYING OR FOLLOWING TO JOIN SPOUSE/PARENT" stamped on top.
I was surprised at getting 4 seperate packets instead of one, but as this did not pose any problems for me (in fact it gave me more flexibility), I accepted the packets and left.
Prithis