Waiting for our passports from Montreal

[canadianjade 1]

I don't want to criticize, but the DOS is actually just a chance game. Some people will be more helpful than others and you might actually find out what is happening. Others will be so stubborn and tell you it is in "Administrative processing", and if you ask a followup question, they will actually REPEAT the previous sentence. I still have not received any email from DHL yet. Will wait till monday afternoon before I contact the consulate again. To answer your other question I was in regular email contact with the montreal consulate and I asked them about the status of my case. It took them a few days, but they responded to every email.

Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. And for your honesty. I just want to know that we're officially approved, I can handle the wait time for the actual Visa.

Keep us posted around when you actually get your Visa and passport back.

[CanuckChick 7]

DHL has my visa and it has been sitting at their offices for three days now. No notice, no phone call, no change on my profile on CSC. Guys, head over to DHL yourselves! Check on it!

Wow! That's pretty incredible - thanks for the heads up!

Congratulations and good luck!

[Kammo 2]

I am in Glendale, Arizona. Where are you moving to??? Oh it took 20 business days for my passport to reach me but it was printed July 7, had my interview June 29. Somehow it got lost somewhere with DHL then back to the Consulate. Received it July 27.

Its been awhile since I looked at this thread! Yes, I was curious where abouts you were living (while in Canada) because I was assuming it would take longer the farther from Montreal we were. Seeing as I am in BC I suspect I'll be waiting awhile. To answer your question I'll just be moving across the water over to Washington. I live about 3 hours from my husband. We have our interview on Friday August 26 and we were really hoping that I might have my visa by Labour Day so he could take his long weekend to help me move. I am highly doubting that this will happen though (unless by some miracle I get the visa in 5 business days).

Edited August 10, 2011 by Kammo

[Kammo 2]

On an unrelated note, I've never understood why they don't process CR/IR-1 visas in Vancouver. Stinks you have to travel so far!

Heh I know? Isn't that silly? I am as far from Montreal as possible!

[LuvIllinois 1]

I don't want to criticize, but the DOS is actually just a chance game. Some people will be more helpful than others and you might actually find out what is happening. Others will be so stubborn and tell you it is in "Administrative processing", and if you ask a followup question, they will actually REPEAT the previous sentence. I still have not received any email from DHL yet. Will wait till monday afternoon before I contact the consulate again. To answer your other question I was in regular email contact with the montreal consulate and I asked them about the status of my case. It took them a few days, but they responded to every email.

Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. And for your honesty. I just want to know that we're officially approved, I can handle the wait time for the actual Visa.

Keep us posted around when you actually get your Visa and passport back.

(sorry, didn't know how to keep both quotes, LOL)

I also agree that you shouldn't bother with DoS too soon and take what they have to say with a grain of salt...wait at least a week before attempting to call because I was told I was in Administrative Processing when I truly wasn't. If you search 'true' AP on here, you will see it is a long drawn out process. All the lady actually meant was it was still being printed. Two totally different things...she told me on Friday that I was in AP and I tell ya, that completely RUINED my weekend. If I had just waited one silly week, I would have the DHL email/call that my Visa was ready to be picked up. Patience was a virtue I didn't have, LOL

[canadianjade 1]

I don't want to criticize, but the DOS is actually just a chance game. Some people will be more helpful than others and you might actually find out what is happening. Others will be so stubborn and tell you it is in "Administrative processing", and if you ask a followup question, they will actually REPEAT the previous sentence. I still have not received any email from DHL yet. Will wait till monday afternoon before I contact the consulate again. To answer your other question I was in regular email contact with the montreal consulate and I asked them about the status of my case. It took them a few days, but they responded to every email.

Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. And for your honesty. I just want to know that we're officially approved, I can handle the wait time for the actual Visa.

Keep us posted around when you actually get your Visa and passport back.

(sorry, didn't know how to keep both quotes, LOL)

I also agree that you shouldn't bother with DoS too soon and take what they have to say with a grain of salt...wait at least a week before attempting to call because I was told I was in Administrative Processing when I truly wasn't. If you search 'true' AP on here, you will see it is a long drawn out process. All the lady actually meant was it was still being printed. Two totally different things...she told me on Friday that I was in AP and I tell ya, that completely RUINED my weekend. If I had just waited one silly week, I would have the DHL email/call that my Visa was ready to be picked up. Patience was a virtue I didn't have, LOL

Thanks LuvIllinois!

Another member told me to call DOS numerous times throughout the week and poll what the agents say. So far they're all saying that my additional documents and passprt have been received and logged and is being reviewed. No on has said it's in Administrative Processing yet. So that's probably a good thing right?

If I keep calling DOS will I ever hear that I'm "approved" or will they continue to give me the same message and I just have to wait until I receive a message from DHL? The CO didn't say I was actually approved at the interview and I was too floored at the "Refusal letter" put in front of me to properly ask for clarification. The CO said "I need your husbands actually tax returns for 2010. Just show me that he's made over $20,000." And she said she tries to turn these things around quickly. But no actual, you're approved but...

I just want to hear that I've been approved - if it hasn't been printed etc... then fine, I can wait for that but at least I can start packing and tying up lose ends here, I'm worried that even though I've sent them what was requested on my 221g (2010 Tax returns and passport) they'll find something else wrong!

Thanks for responding - it makes the uncertainty in this a little more bearable!

[ralyse 31]

I caved and called DOS just now, was told that my visa has been printed and when I tried to verify beyond that she literally hung up on me mid sentence. That was a little bit startling... No sign of a waybill or anything and no idea *when* it was printed. I know not to 100% trust what I was told but hopefully I'll get an email tonight.

PS: I've seen people mentioning using the reference number to track, how are you doing that? Using "Shipper reference number" on DHL's website? Or some other method?

Edited August 10, 2011 by ralyse

[Noeil 0]

I have been in this situation. The first time, the DOS agent couldnt tell me when the visa had been printed. The day after, another DOS agent was able to tell me when it had been printed. strange...

It took 2 more days to get an email from DHL.

I never managed to get information from DHL with the reference number. And I understood why when I saw how different the waybill number was. If your passport has been printed, you shouldn't wait too long.

Just to mentally prepare for more wait, I waited 9 days after the visa was printed to get it. And I have no idea why!

Good luck!

[msrinath80 1]

I caved and called DOS just now, was told that my visa has been printed and when I tried to verify beyond that she literally hung up on me mid sentence. That was a little bit startling... No sign of a waybill or anything and no idea *when* it was printed. I know not to 100% trust what I was told but hopefully I'll get an email tonight.

PS: I've seen people mentioning using the reference number to track, how are you doing that? Using "Shipper reference number" on DHL's website? Or some other method?

Here you go: The box that says "Reference number".

http://www.loomisexpress.com/ca/wfTrackingForm.aspx

[edsotherhalf 1]

Similar here, I called DOS after the two week waiting period. They said it was sent out the week previous. Then it was trying to track it down. I finally got an email from the IV Unit 26 days later saying it would be sent out the next day which it was. They just said "unforseen circumstances regarding delivery service". That just clears everyone from blame. I never got the notice on CSC site until after I had picked the thing up from DHL.

I have been in this situation. The first time, the DOS agent couldnt tell me when the visa had been printed. The day after, another DOS agent was able to tell me when it had been printed. strange...

It took 2 more days to get an email from DHL.

I never managed to get information from DHL with the reference number. And I understood why when I saw how different the waybill number was. If your passport has been printed, you shouldn't wait too long.

Just to mentally prepare for more wait, I waited 9 days after the visa was printed to get it. And I have no idea why!

Good luck!

[BM Canada 3]

I caved and called DOS just now, was told that my visa has been printed and when I tried to verify beyond that she literally hung up on me mid sentence. That was a little bit startling... No sign of a waybill or anything and no idea *when* it was printed. I know not to 100% trust what I was told but hopefully I'll get an email tonight.

PS: I've seen people mentioning using the reference number to track, how are you doing that? Using "Shipper reference number" on DHL's website? Or some other method?

Thanks everyone for the shipper reference number -- this is just the MTL case number, correct?

And I'm avoiding calling DOS for at least a week... 1) the hold time is unbearable 99% of the time and 2) the agents are horrible. During college, I worked on the phones and knew what it was like to be treated poorly by a caller, so I'm EXCEPTIONALLY nice to them and still get treated like I'm dirt.

Good luck on getting visas, everyone! Let us know when you have it. I've also read forums where people physically travel to the DHL location and it's been there, even though they weren't notified. My fiance knows people at his DHL location and is going to pull a few strings for them to watch for it. Fingers crossed.

[Noeil 0]

I had a bad experience the first I called. The lady hung up on me in the middle of one my questions. When I called again, like 2-3 times, I only talked to very nice people. So it really depends on who picks up the phone on the other end.

I am one of them who went to the DHL in person. Unfortunately they didnt have it at that time. But it was worth a try. Depends on how far you like from it. Some have to drive for hours to get there...

FYI someone from these forums went to another DHL office the same day and the passport was there!

The reference number is not the Montreal case number. The reference number appears in your profile on the uscis website. But this wont help you track your passport Im afraid. For that, you need the waybill number, which wont be generated and therefore sent to you until DHL picks up the passport.

Hope this helps!

[ralyse 31]

I called DoS again, had a second agent tell me it was printed. This one says that happened on the 5th. Fingers crossed, I suppose.

[TheFantastics09 19]

I called DoS again, had a second agent tell me it was printed. This one says that happened on the 5th. Fingers crossed, I suppose.

Ugh, I hate the vagueness that is DOS :/.

[been2 0]

Greetings all, I had my consulate appointment in Montreal on August 5th and now waiting for my visa to arrive at my DHL location. Anyone else in the same boat? So far all i can confirm is the consulate has not passed off the visa to DHL as of yet.

When i asked my officer they expected my visa to be given to DHL for shipping by August 11th. I've called to run tracking, and checked online several times but all the say is they have no info for me regarding shipping.

Edited August 11, 2011 by been2