jazzly

You NEED to have your Loomis reference # with you, before they will allow you into the consulate for your interview!!
We did not see this info anywhere. All we read anywhere was that you needed to be registered for Loomis. But, in actuality, you need your reference # as well.
The lady checking documents at the door had a huge stack of photocopied papers with instructions on how to get your Loomis reference #, because that freaking many people get turned away for not having it! (Us, along with everyone who was in line with us were turned away).
BE PREPARED. Have your Loomis reference # with you when you go to the consulate, or you will be TURNED AWAY!
All the best everyone.

After spending 13 months under AP, finally my husband pick up his visa today. I Thank you God for this beautiful gift. I also want to thank everyone who help me through this journey. For those who are still waiting, may God answers to your prayers.

I am in touch with a very motivated banker personal at TD bank Miami location. She is pushing with TD US to have my account release (officially available for business) and since I was exchanging email with her, I mentioned Credit Card application that is in pending. She is going to trace that to the TD cross border folks to see how can she expedite it.
Some people are made to help others. And some are born for a smoke break and missing mandatory employee training.

Passport and birth cert.. One Should wait 10-14 BUSINESS days before you goto the SSN office--it takes time for the paperwork to make it up the chain. There have been other Cdns start work without the SSN----they just did not get paid until they provided the employer with the SSN

So the day came finally when I POE'd from Sarnia/Port Huron.
Left Toronto on Friday evening at 6PM, got stuck in traffic on first snow day of GTA. Reached London Ontario three and a half hour later.
Had dinner there and were so tired that we decided to stay in Sarnia and POE in the morning. Drove an hour from London to Sarnia that seemed like forever.
Got hotel room by lake front in Sarnia around 1:30AM.
Got up at 6:30AM and couldn't sleep again. Family woke up around 10, we had breakfast and got to the bridge around 11:30AM. The bridge was half way full. Even three Nexus lanes were full. All booths were open but there was way too many cars to process. 40 min later we were at booth and I told him that I am activating my IR-1. Were sent straight to the secondary inspection. Were told by officers to leave cell phones all electronics and bleongings except for money/wallet.
Got into the office, were asked basic questions. Took about 80 minutes (as there were too many papers in my package due to AP/domicile issue). The officer was very nice and friendly, told us that he is doing this after 6 months. Asked for help from a senior officer twice. Took fingerprints and signature. Stamped the Passport. Asked me about the car (as I had EPA doc) I told him not now but later if I couldn't sell it in Canada. He said you can and will be coming back and forth many time on this stamp as it might take up to 1 year for Green Card. Told me 4 times that I should contact USCIS if I didn't get it before the year is over. They had no idea of automatic SSN and told me to better to goto SSA office. He came out all the way to car to see us off and shook my hand and congratulated us. Very pleasent experience after a brutal winter drive. Were home at 3:30PM. Some 21 hours later.

The SSN is for life for a person. Regardless of visa/status changes.

Just checked the CSC site and saw that beautiful sentence that passport was ready for pickup!!! Sweet!!!

386 Days Later...Visa in hand.

I had my interview on April 23 in Montreal and picked my visa/passport up in Halifax on April 27 (although it was there and ready for pick up on the 26th). I received an email saying the DHL/Loomis had picked up the passport, then I just tracked it. I was very impressed with the speed!

I received an email!
Good day,
Your immigrant visa was issued today and should soon be ready for pickup at the selected DHL/LOOMIS location.
If you have any questions regarding the courier service, you may contact CSC at 1.877.341.2441 or by email at contactus_en_CA@usvisa-info.com
I hope that this information may be useful.
Sincerely,
OP8
No waybill number at the DOS website or in my email. I guess I just wait some more for a phone call or another email?

I finally got a reply to an email I sent to Montreal on April 11th. Here it is:
Good day,
We are pleased to acknowledge receipt of the documents. Please note that all mail addressed to the U.S. Consulate General in Montreal undergoes thorough security clearance procedures at an offsite facility. This creates additional delays for the mail to actually reach our office. The date you claim the mail was delivered is not the actual date our office has received your mail. You may expect your case to be reviewed within 4 weeks from the date that the mail was sent.
I hope that this information may be useful.
Sincerely,
OP8
So according to this letter it should be "reviewed" by April 30th if I only count work days and don't count Good Friday/Easter Monday. I really, really appreciate finally hearing from them but it would be nice to have a send out date rather than a reviewed date...lol.
Here's to hoping for visa in hand by the end of the month!

The rules for a permanent resident of the US (Green Card Holder) is a re-entry permit is required if you will be out of the US longer than 12 months.
You must apply for this prior to departing the US. You must have valid reason for doing so.
If you are gone less than six months, it is unlikely to cause any scrutiny at re-entry.
If you are gone more than six months, there is a possibility that the CBP officer at entry may scrutinize your trip abroad and request more details.
If he believes you are residing abroad, you risk losing your permanent residency status.
If you leave the US for more than six months and less than 12 months and you appear to be living abroad, you might lose permanent residency status.
A friend of mine returned to US after 14 months in Montreal last year. The CBP officer confiscated the green card. After appearing upset, the officer returned the green card and told them to never again leave the US for more than a year. He was VERY lucky. This could also happen for absences more than six months.
The point I'm trying to make here is if you are gone less than six months, than you probably won't have any problem.
As you can see, the longer you are gone, the risk of losing your status changes.
Once you are gone for more than 12 months, it becomes likely you will lose the status.
All of this behavior on the part of the CBP officer varies and is subjective to circumstances, time of day and the mood of the officer as they have complete discretion and so there are no concrete answers for longer absences.