IR1 (CR1) Visa Timeline - Canada

Husband is an American citizen. I am a Canadian citizen. We hired an attorney to prepare and submit our documents. It was well worth the cost to have the peace of mind that everything was done correctly.

Married late May 2023

Petition filed early June 2023

Petition approved mid/late July 2024

Submitted documents to NVC end of July 2024

DQ August 14 2024

Interview Letter received December 17 2024

Interview date: Feb 5th 2025 (verbally approved at the interview)

I arrived in Montreal two days before the interview date, as traveling in Canada during the winter can be unpredictable. I stayed at the Best Western Europa in downtown Montreal, which is very conveniently a block away from the consulate.

I arrived 15 minutes early. It is a good idea to dress warmly as you have to wait outside until you are called in according to your appointment time. Small bags are permitted, but some people with large bags/backpacks were told to come back without them. I brought a small purse and a collapsible tote to carry my documents. Your phone must be put in a small lockbox. Do not bring any electronics bigger than a phone as they will not fit.

They give you a ticket with a number on it and you go upstairs to a waiting room. I was called up to the window three times. Once to present my documents, once for fingerprinting, and finally one more time for the interview.

The interview was very short. The interviewer asked me questions about how I met my husband, what he does for a living, where he lives, if I’d ever lived anywhere besides Canada, if I’d traveled to the states before, if I’d ever been arrested/convicted of a crime, etc.

In total the process took about 1hr and 15 minutes. All of the staff were very friendly, which helped me feel less nervous.

I do not have the tracking information for my passport yet, but I will update this post when I get it.

Thank you to everyone in this wonderful subreddit! Having this place as a resource throughout the process really helped ease my anxiety.

EDIT: Update

Two business days after my appointment CEAC status changes to Issued

passport received via courier 7 days after appointment

Entered the US as a PR two days after receiving passport. I was referred to secondary for final verification and my visa was stamped. The whole process at the border took less than 30 min.