Tammiej

wrote:

flew into montreal on sunday... tango flight out of calgary $215

booked a week in advance... started snowing shortly after the plane

landed there... being a westerner i like west jet in generally but

in all seriousness tango is not a bad way to go... cab to the

hotel... la tour centreville was $31 flat rate... i didn't have a

room booked in advance but there was plenty of vacancy... went into

the hotel - bought a couple beer in the boutique downstairs and

settled in for the night... made a few very nervous phone calls to

my fiance... actually slept really well all things considered...

woke up in the morning and felt like gagging... my interview was

scheduled for 10 am... in all seriousness if you want to be in and

out of there quick and see some of montreal while they process your

visa go early... 8 or 8:30 i would say... seriously... hotel for

the night was about $110 - not bad... and the consulate is pretty

much right across the street... backside of the snc lavalin

building... got to the consulate about 9:40... thought that i was

early... <grins> took about 25 minutes to get through the line up

and security at the door... in the process i managed to drop 2

manilla envelopes, my x ray envelope and my file folder full of

copies of paper work into a puddle on the stairs... i was thinking

NICE... these guys are thorough no doubt about it, more thorough

than they are at the airport... went upstairs... empty stomach and

one cup of coffee - got there about 10:05 - went to window 25 to get

my ticket... it's like an old dmv... they give you a ticket and you

wait for your number... i was c20 i think - they were processing c7

at that time... so i sat around and made small talk with other folks

there for about an hour and fifteen minutes... got called to window

#1 where they take your paper work from you... everybody has their

xray with them... they don't take it... i know with my medical

packet the x ray envelope was taped to the medical envelope and they

didn't want you tampering with it... but it's a real pain in the ass

to take the xray and they aren't interested in it anyway... at any

rate once you are done at the window they send you back to window 25

(the cashier) to pay your $100usd - and you wait for your number to

come back up for the interview which for me was about another 45

minutes... got called into the interview at 11:57ish and was making

a phone call to my fiance from the bottom of the elevator shaft by

12:05 - the interview was that short...



IF YOU HAVE ALL YOUR PAPER WORK IN ORDER, if you show that you have a

legitmate relationship, if you do the oath and obide by it... YOU

HAVE NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT... NOTHING... MONTREAL is a beautiful

city, my advice to you is to enjoy it... seriously... these are the

people that are going to facilitate you being home with your fiance

and potentially your stepkids... they are super courteous... super

understanding, i mean i fumbled looking for my letter that said that

my fiance was still willing and able to marry me for no kidding 5

minutes at the window and still didn't find it... produced it at the

interview portion... you are through the worst of it when you are in

montreal... it's over... you're going to be home soon... these

people are not out to vilify you... hundreds of people have been

through the process before... you don't often hear about people

being rejected for this visa because it doesn't often happen...



at the interview proper they make you take an oath then they asked

me... 1) so you want to marry an american? (it was an ice breaker,

just had a really nice woman back there making a joke) 2) they asked

when we met? 3) they asked what she does for a living 4) they asked

what i do for a living... she flipped through the paper work (the

consular officer) mostly the stuff that was submitted with the I29f

as far as i could see... she looked me in the eye and told me i was

approved... AFTER APPROVAL - the process the visa in the early

afternoon... want you back at the office about 3 to pick it up...

even if there is a line up to get back in the building walk to the

sevurity guard and show them your yellow/orange card... for some

reason we seem to have priority over other people waiting to get back

in the building...



i went back to the hotel who had been nice enough to store my bags

for me behind their counter all day after i had checked out...

picked up my things visa in hand and hailed a cab... there are cabs

all over down there... everywhere... nothing like calgary for

sure... took the cab to the airport... caught a standby westjet

flight via hamilton (was on a buddy pass) - i think it cost me like

$99 to fly home and another $31 to the airport... park and jet at

calgary international cost me about $16 for two days...



remember THIS IS GOING TO BE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL DAY OF YOUR LIFE...

you have nothing to worry about... NOTHING... you folks tried to

tell me how nice it was going to be and i was a little suspect... i

shouldn't have been...



just a footnote... it was awesome... walked back from the consulate

to the cafe at the hotel right after being accepted... after i had

called my fiance... needed to eat had been on an empty stomach for

well over 16 hours... snow is falling... snow all over the ground

and the music they are playing at the vestibule of the hotel 'i'll be

home for christmas' i damn near cried but i'm a man... emotionally

unavailable you know... <GRINS>



anyway happy holidays guys...

for those of you still in the process and those of you awaiting an

interview right around the corner... hang in there and remember...

this is going to be the best day of your life...



This is my fiance story.. He will be home -here in Missouri- Friday..I
can not express how happy we are since he was approved.. Thank You all
for your kind words and support...For taking the time to write words of
encouragement . It means alot. Merry Christmas.......

Dutchman2001nl

Congrats !!

Alecca

Congratulations Tammie!

Sibsie

That's lovely. Many congrats and good luck in your new life. :)

Joe D.

Wonderful story that gives us all inspiration and lets us look to the
future with great hope!

All the best 2 U

Joe

sibsie <member17406@british_expats.com> wrote in message news:<>...
    > That's lovely. Many congrats and good luck in your new life. :)

Clare & Steven

Congratulations!!! Wonderful news Tammie!

Have a wonderful Christmas!

Givemestrength

Originally posted by TammieJ


    > just a footnote... it was awesome... walked back from the consulate

    > to the cafe at the hotel right after being accepted... after i had

    > called my fiance... needed to eat had been on an empty stomach for

    > well over 16 hours... snow is falling... snow all over the ground

    > and the music they are playing at the vestibule of the hotel 'i'll be

    > home for christmas' i damn near cried but i'm a man... emotionally

    > unavailable you know... <GRINS>

    >



I dang near got choked up and burst out laughing at the same time when I
read the paragraph above! Thanks for sharing the experience with us and
above all CONGRATS!!!