Montreal embassy EB-2 interview wait time-Part 2

[fyxk2024 9]

2 hours ago, JesusisLord24 said:

@fyxk2024So sorry have to go through this, hopefully they resolve it soon. Can you share what POE you entered through? 

 

I haven't received my card as well and today is my 90th day. 

I entered through Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ). You can send the e-request tomorrow. Hope you can get feedback as soon as possible.

[JesusisLord24 29]

14 hours ago, fyxk2024 said:

I entered through Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ). You can send the e-request tomorrow. Hope you can get feedback as soon as possible.

Same here I came in through Pearson in March. Where and what link did you use to submit the request? When I type my receipt number into the link on the USCIS website it says case not available for this tool. 

[appleblossom 4,310]

18 minutes ago, JesusisLord24 said:

Same here I came in through Pearson in March. Where and what link did you use to submit the request? When I type my receipt number into the link on the USCIS website it says case not available for this tool. 

 

You need to use this link. https://egov.uscis.gov/e-request/ndc

 

What does your online status say?

 

Recently they're saying to allow 120 days to people who've enquired after 90 days just FYI, I think there's a backlog. 

Edited June 10 by appleblossom

[JesusisLord24 29]

11 hours ago, appleblossom said:

 

You need to use this link. https://egov.uscis.gov/e-request/ndc

 

What does your online status say?

 

Recently they're saying to allow 120 days to people who've enquired after 90 days just FYI, I think there's a backlog. 

That's the link I use and it gives me the error message. Online status says payment received and it tells me to inquire after 90days

Edited June 11 by JesusisLord24

[appleblossom 4,310]

8 minutes ago, JesusisLord24 said:

That's the link I use and it gives me the error message. Online status says payment received and it tells me to inquire after 90days

That’s odd. You’re definitely putting the right receipt number in? The one from your green card fee payment? 

[JesusisLord24 29]

8 hours ago, appleblossom said:

That’s odd. You’re definitely putting the right receipt number in? The one from your green card fee payment? 

@appleblossomYes that's the receipt number I'm using 

[appleblossom 4,310]

1 hour ago, JesusisLord24 said:

@appleblossomYes that's the receipt number I'm using 

Starting with IOE? And you’re definitely selecting OS155A from the drop down? 
 

If so then I’m afraid I have no idea, you’ll have to contact USCIS. 

 

Good luck. 

[JesusisLord24 29]

On 6/11/2025 at 5:49 AM, appleblossom said:

Starting with IOE? And you’re definitely selecting OS155A from the drop down? 
 

If so then I’m afraid I have no idea, you’ll have to contact USCIS. 

 

Good luck. 

Thanks. I called USCIS last week and they told me to give them more time. Seems the 120day timeline is the new norm. Checked case status this morning and it shows card is being produced. So I guess it was just delayed cause of USCIS backlog. 

[appleblossom 4,310]

5 minutes ago, JesusisLord24 said:

Thanks. I called USCIS last week and they told me to give them more time. Seems the 120day timeline is the new norm. Checked case status this morning and it shows card is being produced. So I guess it was just delayed cause of USCIS backlog. 

 

Oh that's good, you should have it very soon then. 

[Panda_ 3]

2 hours ago, JesusisLord24 said:

Thanks. I called USCIS last week and they told me to give them more time. Seems the 120day timeline is the new norm. Checked case status this morning and it shows card is being produced. So I guess it was just delayed cause of USCIS backlog. 

 

Thats good news. What was the cases status before "card is being produced"?

is it "Immigrant Visa Fee Payment Received" or  "We Have Received Your Case"?

[visajournie 4]

I had an interview at MTL consulate this morning. My case is EB2-NIW. The interview went well, original police certs and birth certs were given back to us at the interview, except for our passports. The officer said that he “will approve our case in the afternoon or next week after a security check”. Wondering what that is and any chance of getting AP or refusal? He kept our passports and gave us an instruction sheet on how to check the visa status and the passport shipment. 
 

Any idea what that “security check” is? Most people got their approval on spot but we didn’t. We just don’t want to have our passports at the embassy for months if our case goes to admin process.

[fyxk2024 9]

On 6/4/2025 at 11:47 AM, fyxk2024 said:

Updates: Things become ridiculous!!!😭

 

I sent the second e-request to USCIS on June 2, 2025, and I just got feedback from USCIS today. USCIS said they did not receive my Immigrant Visa (IV) Packet!!!!!! They ask me to schedule an appointment with local Field Office, then submit all documents again to reconstruct my IV Packet...

 

Here is the email:

 

A search of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) records indicates that USCIS has not received your Department of State (DOS) issued Immigrant Visa (IV) Packet, which should have been submitted by the Port of Entry (POE) when you entered the United States. USCIS requires a completed IV Packet to process your Permanent Resident Card (PRC).

If you are in possession of your IV Packet, please mail the complete IV Packet to the following address:

USCIS
Attn: IV
2501 S State Highway 121 Business
Suite 400
Lewisville, TX 75067

If you are not in possession of your IV Packet, you will need to schedule an appointment with your local Field Office by visiting the USCIS webpage at my.uscis.gov/en/appointment/v2. Once scheduled, you will receive confirmation of your appointment date and time as well as any other instructions for your appointment.

You will need to take the following to your Field Office appointment:

1. A copy of this letter
2. Proof of identity (This would be a passport or national photo identification issued by your country, driver’s license, military photo identification or a state-issued photo identification)
3. A copy of your immigrant visa documentation, which would include all evidence you submitted to USCIS related to the underlying petition, and the documents that you submitted to the Department of State. This would generally include:
a. A copy of the underlying petition (I-130, I-140, etc.) with original signature and any supporting documentation submitted with the petition.
b. A copy of your birth certificate with translation, if applicable.
c. Derivatives’ supporting civil documents (birth certificate, marriage certificate, divorce decree, etc.) demonstrating the relationship to the principal beneficiary/immigrant, if applicable.

Your local Field Office will reconstruct the IV Packet. If you have not received a response from USCIS within 90 days of your appointment, please notify us using the contact information below.

 

My IV package was submitted when I crossed the border. I don't understand why USCIS hasn't received it. Well, there's nothing I can do except follow the instructions. I really don’t know if another 90 days or more of waiting lies ahead...

Updates:

I called USCIS and scheduled an appointment with the local USCIS Field Office for June 17, 2025. During the appointment, I explained my situation and resubmitted all the documents I had provided throughout my immigration process. The officer issued a temporary I-551 stamp in my passport, valid for one year starting from June 17, 2025, and informed me that my case would proceed once they reconstruct my IV packet.

[Anelisse 8]

6 hours ago, visajournie said:

I had an interview at MTL consulate this morning. My case is EB2-NIW. The interview went well, original police certs and birth certs were given back to us at the interview, except for our passports. The officer said that he “will approve our case in the afternoon or next week after a security check”. Wondering what that is and any chance of getting AP or refusal? He kept our passports and gave us an instruction sheet on how to check the visa status and the passport shipment. 
 

Any idea what that “security check” is? Most people got their approval on spot but we didn’t. We just don’t want to have our passports at the embassy for months if our case goes to admin process.

Hi there! Congratulations on your interview today; don’t you mind sharing your PD and DQ date? How long did the interview last? Which questions you were asked for? Did some of your family members were asked questions as well? Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

[visajournie 4]

On 6/20/2025 at 6:09 PM, Anelisse said:

Hi there! Congratulations on your interview today; don’t you mind sharing your PD and DQ date? How long did the interview last? Which questions you were asked for? Did some of your family members were asked questions as well? Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

PD Jun 9, 2023; DQ Feb 2024. EB2-NIW, filed with Chen. At the time of filing 4 peer reviewed scientific journal publications. Citations were only 50+, but my case was strong as the publications belong to the top journals in my field.

 

Regarding the interview. We spent a total of 1.5 hours at the Consulate, from security screening to leaving the building. I trust someone must have post their interview details in this forum so I won’t go in details about the interview. Below are the procedures and especially some notes that will be useful for many applicants at MTL:

 

1. Security screening:

 

Once entered the Consulate premise on the ground floor, I was instructed to take my backpack elsewhere as backpacks are not allowed in the building. A Tims Horton nearby with a kind lady allowed me to leave my bag in the store after I explained to her my circumstances.

 

Only my documents and water bottles were allowed. Phones had to be switched off. Phones, keys, electronics, earphones were stored in a locker before I headed to the interview floor.

 

2. The interview procedure itself consisted of 4 parts:

 

- All documents and photocopies were checked and verified for completeness, given back to us; then we were issued a ticket number and waited for the next step.

- An officer called our number to collect our documents, scan our photos and passports, and asked a few questions about our visa category, current address, employment, etc. Pretty straightforward. Then we waited.

- Called again for fingerprinting

- Called for the last time for the formal, actual interview by another officer. Interview questions were more personal such as my career goals and my endeavors are, what companies I wish to work for upon migrating to the US, how long we’ve married for, where did we live in the past 10 years. He went thru our police certificates and made sure the Canadian ones are valid (less than 2 years old). Questions were into the details, but the officer was courteous and polite. We were told that he would need to do “another security check before finalizing the approval”. Kept our passports and told us to check the status the following week (our interview was on a Friday).

 

I checked my status in the afternoon on the same date and it was “Issued”. We were pleasantly surprised for the quick results.

 

Some noted for interview candidates at Mtl:

 

- Don’t bring your backpack. Just your documents and a clear file.

- Make photocopies of ALL original documents before the interview. They don’t make photocopies for you. You will be turned away if you don’t have copies of important documents like passports and birth certificates.

- For our case, expired police certificates from previous countries of residence were accepted, although we visited (short trips for a few days) those countries after the certificates were issued. We never come back there to live or work. If we did, I guess we would have to obtain the latest certificates.

- Once you leave the building after the interview, you won’t be allowed to come back in.

 

Hope that helps!

Edited June 23 by visajournie

[Canadian24 27]

@visajournie  Congratulations on your visa being issued! Thank you for the details info! Super appreciated!