Expect drastic changes in the immigration system

[Malrothien 6]

Can he make Montreal go faster?

Waiting 3+ months just to be assigned an interview is just ridiculous.

Since we're best buddies we should just let him know.

[SuperDuper! 230]

and here i thought it was cuz they were sick of me piling up their 1-800 number for two years asking where our noa2 was

sara

Yes, there is a comment in the fine print about your 1-800 escapades as a cause for reform!

[Septembergold 0]

You mean they are moving away from the IDAS? (International Dust Accumulation Standard)

That's where they actually do something once a required amount of dust has built up on your file.

The newer building filtration systems has actually caused the case time to increase due to the slower dust build-up.

[BunzTheMagicSnail 2]

now if they can just get the nvc to not suffer from a bottleneck i'd be good

but a start somewhere is better than none

[WhidbeyGirl 1]

With all this talk about people suddenly getting their NOA2's well ahead of schedule (I'm one of them, though I waited 80 days), and nobody on this site knowing why, I decided to do some reading. Take a look at this:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Working-Tog...gration-Reform/

Obama's interest in immigration reform seems to be the primary reason we're seeing things speed up. They claim the backlog of background checks has been getting smaller, and that they're going to use "cutting edge technology" to get rid of much of the (redundant) paperwork. I can only assume (hope) this means everything's moving online, and once we submit our initial information we get some sort of "ticket number" we mail in with our evidence. This reform will also alleviate issues with immigration fraud (which, hopefully, none of the VisaJourney folks are engaging in).

Good luck guys, looks like things are going to get easier for future filers!!

Then explain why I got my petition approved in 58 days at VSC when Bush was president. Please? And that was considered "normal" at the time. Explain why the CSC has been running much faster than VSC since late last summer. Explain why CSC was cranking out petitions in 30 days back in January and now seems to have slowed. Was Obama only interested in petitions at CSC? And now he is interested only in petitions at VSC? The service centers have a long history of speeding up and slowing down and reversing which is faster for no reason they will explain, but most likely has nothing to do with background checks which normally take a few seconds. If your name comes up on a "bad guy" list they do a manual check, which we are told has been speeded up, not by anything related to immigration, but by improvements at the FBI related to national security. Immigration and K visas are a collateral beneficiary of that.

When VSC doubles their speed, from 80 days to 40 days...on average, not for a few isolated cases, they will be back about the same place as they were in Bush's first term. And no, I am not a Bush lover, quite the opposite. Only demonstrating the ridiculous.

There have been no changes implemented by Obama to speed this process. You are seeing a normal flucuation of timelines.

It is like this.... the weather here is much cooler than last month, must be Obama's global warming initiatives??? Must be. If this keeps up we may see SNOW within a couple months! Some people are even preparing to go SKIING if Obama keeps having such success!

Well you know he is proclaimed to be the Savior HAHAHAHA!!!!! Soon the waters will be parting and immigrants allowed to walk across.

[Matt&Divorced 0]

With all this talk about people suddenly getting their NOA2's well ahead of schedule (I'm one of them, though I waited 80 days), and nobody on this site knowing why, I decided to do some reading. Take a look at this:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Working-Tog...gration-Reform/

Obama's interest in immigration reform seems to be the primary reason we're seeing things speed up. They claim the backlog of background checks has been getting smaller, and that they're going to use "cutting edge technology" to get rid of much of the (redundant) paperwork. I can only assume (hope) this means everything's moving online, and once we submit our initial information we get some sort of "ticket number" we mail in with our evidence. This reform will also alleviate issues with immigration fraud (which, hopefully, none of the VisaJourney folks are engaging in).

Good luck guys, looks like things are going to get easier for future filers!!

lol is all I can say, I've learnt over this year when it comes to issues like that, it's best to arm yourself with an oldie but a goodie:

I've learnt to use it a lot, I'm sure many here have! lol

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

I read the "Obama'nible Showman's" immigration proposals a few months back. To appease the Hispanic voters, he wants to offer illegals an option to "pay a fine and get in line" for a green card. To appease the advocates of tighter border security, he wants to throw a lot of money at monitoring systems to try to stop border crossings. What really got me was his proposal to slap a quota on fiance and spousal visas, like they currently have for family preference visas. What was the most appalling about this proposal was that the current quota for spouses of LPR's would be higher than the proposed quota for spouses of USC's. That would effectively eliminate the CR1, since it would be impossible to get your spouse here before you've been married for two years.

I don't usually talk politics on public forums. Like religion, it's a pointless subject because there's no hope of changing anybody's mind. I just hope we get through this administration without having any irreversible damage done to this country.

[Ron/Sharon 0]

Can he make Montreal go faster?

Waiting 3+ months just to be assigned an interview is just ridiculous.

Don't ask that Montreal go any faster remember my last topic, if they go faster they will have to do things twice, they did a half-assed job putting the visa packet together and have to do it again, and I'm still waiting. I'm at the point where tums are in my mouth more often than oxygen. I gave my employer his notice, my landlord is showing my apartment to prospective tenants and I'll not have an address for them to send my visa. Let them measure twice and cut once remember that at Montreal they are not the brightest light bulb in the package.

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

Can he make Montreal go faster?

Waiting 3+ months just to be assigned an interview is just ridiculous.

Don't ask that Montreal go any faster remember my last topic, if they go faster they will have to do things twice, they did a half-assed job putting the visa packet together and have to do it again, and I'm still waiting. I'm at the point where tums are in my mouth more often than oxygen. I gave my employer his notice, my landlord is showing my apartment to prospective tenants and I'll not have an address for them to send my visa. Let them measure twice and cut once remember that at Montreal they are not the brightest light bulb in the package.

I didn't read your other topic, but I'm curious why you gave notice to your employer and landlord before you got a visa in hand? The instructions from Department of State are clear that you shouldn't do this. I don't know if the consulate in Montreal requires a DS-2001, or if the form is the same as the one my fiancee had to sign, but the DS-2001 is the applicants acknowledgment that they know the approval of their visa is not guaranteed, and they shouldn't make any final arrangements until they have the visa in hand.

A lot of consulates have problems with the packets they send. They are often not well prepared, sent to the wrong address (because some bonehead rushed the data entry into the computer), or don't contain the correct or current forms. Usually, packets aren't send by consular officers, who are career foreign service officers. Packets are usually sent by consulate employees, who are usually hired locally, and often not trained adequately by the consulate.

[Ron/Sharon 0]

Can he make Montreal go faster?

Waiting 3+ months just to be assigned an interview is just ridiculous.

Don't ask that Montreal go any faster remember my last topic, if they go faster they will have to do things twice, they did a half-assed job putting the visa packet together and have to do it again, and I'm still waiting. I'm at the point where tums are in my mouth more often than oxygen. I gave my employer his notice, my landlord is showing my apartment to prospective tenants and I'll not have an address for them to send my visa. Let them measure twice and cut once remember that at Montreal they are not the brightest light bulb in the package.

I didn't read your other topic, but I'm curious why you gave notice to your employer and landlord before you got a visa in hand? The instructions from Department of State are clear that you shouldn't do this. I don't know if the consulate in Montreal requires a DS-2001, or if the form is the same as the one my fiancee had to sign, but the DS-2001 is the applicants acknowledgment that they know the approval of their visa is not guaranteed, and they shouldn't make any final arrangements until they have the visa in hand.

A lot of consulates have problems with the packets they send. They are often not well prepared, sent to the wrong address (because some bonehead rushed the data entry into the computer), or don't contain the correct or current forms. Usually, packets aren't send by consular officers, who are career foreign service officers. Packets are usually sent by consulate employees, who are usually hired locally, and often not trained adequately by the consulate.

I did have the visa in hand along with the documentation, that is why I gave notices where it was necessary. It was later that I saw some of the documentation was not meant for me to see and they sent the following.

Please return all documentation to us immediately for review of the entire file. If you wish to have original documents returned to you we will do so once we receive the file.

Operator 5

Please return ALL documents, envelopes that you received and your passport to us. We will review the contents and mail you your visa packet and passport back. Provide another Xpress post envelope to mail you back your visa.

OP5

[lgg 2]

Seriously? He needs to go kick some serious a** in Montreal. Not even kidding about that.

Those Aholes are really starting to p1ss me off for all our sakes -- Ron and Sharon the countless Canadian K1s waiting, my CR1 buddies how finished in June and are still waiting. How are other consulates able to assign interviews a week or two after completion dates and all the Canadians are hanging around like dirty socks with nothing for months on end????

To that, I say ** you and your 'revamped' system. That is just bollocks.

Sorry for the rant but GEEZUS!!!

PS ** YOU to the system not to anyone on this board or the original poster.

Edited September 28, 2009 by lgg

[Ron/Sharon 0]

Seriously? He needs to go kick some serious a** in Montreal. Not even kidding about that.

Those Aholes are really starting to p1ss me off for all our sakes -- Ron and Sharon the countless Canadian K1s waiting, my CR1 buddies how finished in June and are still waiting. How are other consulates able to assign interviews a week or two after completion dates and all the Canadians are hanging around like dirty socks with nothing for months on end????

To that, I say ** you and your 'revamped' system. That is just bollocks.

Sorry for the rant but GEEZUS!!!

PS ** YOU to the system not to anyone on this board or the original poster.

I think they sent all the **-ups from the other consulates to Montreal for retraining because it's closer to home if they fail. I would love to go there and kick some butt, but they're making me so sick that when I'm not with Sharon or working I'm sleeping.

If anybody wants to draft a letter to the guy in charge there (Montreal) or the ambassador I'll sign it and mail it.

[Malrothien 6]

It's ridiculous that there are at least two other consulates in Canada that are capable of processing immigrant visas and they don't. Why? Why is it that way? Why do people from the Yukon have to go to Montreal for a damned interview? Why does my husband have to fly from Vancouver to Montreal (which is at least $500 for a ticket) for it? Why isn't Vancouver or Calgary processing them any more?

aHHHHHHHHH.

[Rhiannercakes 14]

Can he make Montreal go faster?

Waiting 3+ months just to be assigned an interview is just ridiculous.

Don't ask that Montreal go any faster remember my last topic, if they go faster they will have to do things twice, they did a half-assed job putting the visa packet together and have to do it again, and I'm still waiting. I'm at the point where tums are in my mouth more often than oxygen. I gave my employer his notice, my landlord is showing my apartment to prospective tenants and I'll not have an address for them to send my visa. Let them measure twice and cut once remember that at Montreal they are not the brightest light bulb in the package.

I forgot about the fact that Montreal messed up things like your visa.

Sorry if I sounded insensitive

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

I did have the visa in hand along with the documentation, that is why I gave notices where it was necessary. It was later that I saw some of the documentation was not meant for me to see and they sent the following.

Please return all documentation to us immediately for review of the entire file. If you wish to have original documents returned to you we will do so once we receive the file.

Operator 5

Please return ALL documents, envelopes that you received and your passport to us. We will review the contents and mail you your visa packet and passport back. Provide another Xpress post envelope to mail you back your visa.

OP5

Again, I didn't see your other thread. Did you open the "Do not open" envelope? I'm just wondering...

Regarding the consulates; being a consular officer is often the first job a foreign service officer gets. It's a job almost nobody volunteers for because it's demanding, thankless, and they often get dropped into some hell hole consulate in a disease infested swamp somewhere. It's part of the penance most FS officers have to pay in order to get the gig they really joined the foreign service to get. Most FS officers get the heck out of the job as soon as they are eligible. If it seems like they don't give a s**t about you or your case, it's probably true.

I realize that Montreal is bad, but I envy you nonetheless. I would gladly switch to Montreal for my fiancee's interview if it were at all possible. There is only one consulate in her country that handles visas - in a country with a total land mass less than California, and a population nearly 3 times as large as Canada, and odds of a successful visa interview on the first go round estimated to be in the single digits. Don't like getting delayed because of a paperwork snafu? How would like getting denied because the CO didn't like the person who introduced you to your fiance, or because the CO thought your sister had gotten a visa fraudulently and now he's going to hold it against you, or because the CO is suspicious of the fact that you've already got family members in the US, or because some distant relative of yours is a member of the wrong political party, or because you wore the same shirt on pictures taken on two different days?