Mad & J

Hello everyone!

Thank you for all your kind words, support, and advice. I'm here with an update of what I've done so far.

I emailed Montreal-IV-DV@state.gov last night about the issue and provided a copy of my passport photo page and K1 visa. They responded at 9:30AM this morning saying I could mail back my envelope for re-sealing or return to Montreal in person. I informed them I would come in person tomorrow morning to get it re-sealed because I have my wedding to attend to on Friday.

Soon after I booked a bus ticket to Montreal and after 7.5 hours on the road, I've finally arrived! I was able to rearrange the flight I missed with American Airlines last night to one leaving out of Montreal tomorrow evening instead so I not only avoid the trip back to Toronto, but potentially another round of the petition/NOA2 expiry vs. visa expiry dates fiasco. Thank you to those to urged me to POE somewhere else, I hope to have better luck out of Montreal.

I'll be at the consulate for 8AM tomorrow. I hope things will work out this time and that no one else here has to suffer what I did.

What an infuriating story! I wish you the best of luck and hope you can get on that plane tonight!

Please update us when you get the chance, and congrats on your upcoming wedding.

I send my Packet 3 today! It may have been too early, but I suppose I can just send it again if I get no response within a week.

I've been told by other Montreal VJers that when the Updated date changes on your CEAC 'Ready' status, that means they've logged your case and that you can send them Packet 3, even though you haven't received anything from them yet. Well, my status showed 'Ready' on Monday, so I thought I'd have to wait about a week for them to log my case and update CEAC. However, this morning, the Updated date changed from September 21 to September 23! That seems quick to me, so I'm not 100% sure that means they have actually logged my case. But since I'd already prepared my packet 3 email (it was sitting in my email drafts all ready to go), I took a chance and sent it. We'll see!

i just check my online profile on ustraveldocs. i have turist visa too so, i had one. i see that nvc sheduled my interview... my petition still at nvc. is too early to submit the ds-160?

btw i need make online profile for my son too? he is 12 yo. i know he need have his own ds 160 but i dont know if he need have hes own profile...

I believe you can complete de DS-160 even though your file is still a NVC, as long as you don't send your Packet 3 yet. At least I know this is the case for my consulate, maybe someone else who has experience with yours can help. Might be better to ask the question in your region's subforum as the process is different from one consulate/embassy to the next!

I'm not sure for your second question. I would imagine that since he will need his own DS-160 and barcode, that you would have to start anew for him. Good luck!

As for me, our petition has made it to MTL and our status says 'Ready'! I'm unwilling to wait for them to send me Packet 3, so following the advice of other Canadian VJers, I'm planning on just waiting for the second update on CEAC, which will indicate that they have logged the petition. The second I notice the next update, I will email them Packet 3. Not a lost minute!

You did not have to pay tax on the car. What a mean spirited woman. I would have made a complaint. (You should!!!)

Do you happen to know of official documentation that backs this? I don't doubt it but I'd like to have something printed I can take with me at my POE in case they tell me I have to pay taxes. i only found the following on the CBP website, but I'm not sure that's what I want as it mentions a one year limit!

"

Nonresidents may import a vehicle duty-free for personal use up to (1) one year if the vehicle is imported in conjunction with the owner's arrival. Vehicles imported under this provision that do not conform to U.S. safety and emission standards must be exported within one year and may not be sold in the U.S. There is no exemption or extension of the export requirementa."

See.. when I called the border they told me it had to specifically say FMVSS or something to that degree to be safety compliant. The phrase stated above is the EPA emission requirement only, which is why I am anticipating trouble with my car. I THINK Bonnie&Bob may have had it lucky. I'm not sure. I'm still going to try it anyways on Thursday 24th because it's the best shot I have since Hyundai don't issue US compliance letters but I will update once I cross over. I'm pretty sure Toyota issues them so I would get it - I'd rather be in your shoes and just have it available since it doesn't strictly say FMVSS on your car.

You're probably right, I should try to get that letter since Toyota seems to be willing to issue it, just to cover all my bases.

I wish you luck, please update once you've made it through!

I just did all of this yesterday. I have a 2013 Hyundai Accent. I called Hyundai Canada for this famous compliance letter. Save your dime because they will tell you straight up they don't do that anymore.

Go check the stickers on the door and under the hood.

You are looking for: U.S. EPA: #### ### and OBD: CA II and No Adjustment Needed. These 3 things are your key to freedom. I know its there because it is on mine. Find the Form 3520-1 online and open it with Adobe Reader. Fill out that form. Leave the Customer Entry # blank...your not a broker. Go online and find the Port Entry Code of the Port you will be entering from. For example....I am entering the US at Houlton, ME so my Port Entry Code is 0106. Next look up HS-7 Declaration (DOT), fill that out the same. Don't sign them until you are at the point of entry. Make a copy of your bill of sale or lease. (Get a letter from you financing or bank on letter head saying they are allowing you to transport the vehicle to the USA with money still owning and that you have made arrangements with them for payment). Make a copy of the registration of the car and also the permit for the license plate. Make a copy of your insurance card. If you have the phone number & fax of the port you will be entering you can fax the title of your car ahead of time for them to search the title to speed things up at the border. Send with a cover page of when you plan on entering the US and the details of your car that is still under a lease and also the letter from you finance with your agreement. Call them to make sure they received it. YOUR DONE. Now all you have to do is show up at the border with the car.

Hi! I thought I'd highjack this thread as you seem very knowledgeable. I own a 2012 Toyota Prius V. I just checked under the hood of my car, and there is a sticker with all of the info you listed: US EPA number, OBD CA II and No Adjustment Needed. Does this mean that I don't need to bother with a complience letter from Toyota? If all I have to do is fill out a few forms, that's easy enough. The car is all paid for, if that matters.

Thanks!

You dont have to do the DS-230? Lucky you, that took me longer than the DS-160, even though it is just two pages :-D

This time I printed my DS-160 (and no, it wont even let you go to the next page if you are missing something, I tried because I thought I´d research later and fill it in and it wont let you), so I was able to go back and look at it.

There is no mention of it in my Packet 3 or 4, so I guess I get to skip DS-230. I don't envy you, I just had a look at it and it seems like a pain in the butt! It would take me a while to track down all of my addresses since I was 16!

Is anyone having a long wait to get K1 approval thorugh the Texas service center? I submited my application in March 2015. On the timeline it shows all other months including april, june, july as being processed. Are they skipping march? Whats going on with this long wait time for March applicants? Can anyone shed some light on the situation?

Sadly, most everyone going through Texas has to endure a long wait and the majority of March filers have not received their approvals yet. The April-July petitions you see being approved are all California Service Center filers who didn't enter their service center correctly... several people confuse the Texas Lockbox, which receives ALL applications, with the Texas Service Center. Which can cause some confusion for those of us actually stuck at TSC. From all the information that has been posted here, it seems that all I-129F petitions are being sent to California since the end of March, so there aren't actually any April, June and July filers at TSC. Us March filers are the last of the unlucky lot. It's a frustrating situation.

I recommend checking this thread for March TSC filers: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/541580-i-129f-filers-march-2015-noa1-date-tsc-only/page-31(link goes to last page of the thread).

Good luck, hopefully you won't have to wait much longer!

Congratulations!!

I wish you a safe trip back home with your fiancé!

i did it,silly me.... i just type wrong.. my kyboard get crazy. we are still at nvc. i hope monday will send it to bucharest. good luck to all

We got our case number on Monday and our case started showing "In Transit" on Friday. It shouldn't be long for you!

Interestingly enough I was only asked "current work info" on the DS-160. I wonder if they changed it. This was this weekend.

But also have to supply the DS-230 which asks for the last 10 YEARS of work. My list is very long, I have 4 attachments for the DS-230 alone *urgh*

Same, I was only asked about current work on the DS-160, and I'm from the same coutry as OP. Strange, as I tripled checked everything I cased I missed anything. I don't think it would have let me complete and sign it with missing sections anyway. I already submitted the form but haven't had my interview yet, but I'm thinking I'll probably bring a copy of my CV just in case.

Your age difference and short courtship might raise some red flags, but I doubt the same-sex aspect will matter: plenty of same-sex K1s get approved with no problem. We are a same-sex couple too.

You will need to build a convincing case that you have a bonafide relationship, I would suggest front-loading your application with as much evidence as possible. Be prepared to be questioned about your age difference at the interview, definitetly. However, big age differences aren't that uncommon, so you if are well prepared you should be fine. I don't think an attorney will be much help in this case as they can't produce the relationship evidence for you. Good luck!

Hi there,

Sorry about stealing the last november dates but yes it looks like interviews are scheduled at least 2 months out right now.

You can go ahead and register for the site though, once your fill out the DS-160 form online. You'll need your passport number, the CEAC confirmation number from the DS-160 (starts with AA), the MTL number, and DOB. You pick the Loomis pickup location, and then on the page where it asks you to pay the fee, it will say "Earliest dates available" for both Montreal and Vancouver. You would have to pay the fee to actually see the calendar, and if you schedule an interview before you receive the Packet 4 letter, they will cancel it. But at least you can get an idea of the dates.

When we first registered 2 weeks ago, it said "no interview dates available" for Montreal., but I kept checking. Then 2 or so days later it said November 1 or 2 was the earliest available, and the date slowly slipped into the future as the days went on, though at one point an October date opened up (possibly a cancellation?). Basically, it seems like they release the whole month of dates about 2 months in advance, and they fill up within the first 2 weeks of the month or so. If you keep checking several times a day once you receive Packet 4, you will have your choice of interview dates in December, and might even have a shot at grabbing a November date if there is a cancellation.

Good luck, and hope this helps

Don't be sorry, hahah. I would have stolen it too!

Thanks for the info, I appreciate it. I've filled out the DS-160 but haven't submitted it yet, I figured there was no point while our petition was still sitting at NVC. But I should probably triple-check the info and submit it so it will be done, then I can check for the earliest dates available... and make myself even more crazy by checking it 20 times a day! This process has been so long for us what with the stupid TSC backlog, I really can't wait to be done with it.

Good luck to you as well!

Hello all! Some very happy news for us today! We have an interview scheduled at Montreal at the end of November!

Turns out it is quite possible to push things along, and it seems we have accidentally done just that

We got our case number from NVC on Sept 3, and they told us that the case had been sent out the previous day. We filled out the DS-160, registered on usvisa-info.com, and began gathering the documents needed for the interview. I dutifully checked CEAC multiple times a day, waiting for that mythical 2nd Updated Date. Well that happened today, and my fiancee just so happened to have brought her passport and P3 checklist into work to scan just for the occasion. With the "Earliest Appointment Available" date on usvisa-info.com slipping farther into the future, I had her fire off the email to Montreal this afternoon, just an hour or so after I saw that the status had updated. If the case hadn't been logged yet, they would just ignore the email, and we'd try again tomorrow or Thursday.

What happened next I believe is without precedent on these forums:

P3Sent.png

P4Rect.png

That's right, she got an email back, containing Packet 4 and permission to schedule the interview, exactly 10 minutes after sending in Packet 3 unsolicited.

Of course, she gets distracted with "real" work and doesn't send it to me until after 5pm, at which point I rush home, pull out my Visa, pay the fee, and quickly grab one of the last 3 interview dates in November.

So, my fellow impatient Americans who are waiting to bring your Canadian belle (or beau) south of the border, best of luck to you! Wear out the button on CEAC! Have your Packet 3 items gathered, signed, scanned, and ready to go! You never know what will happen, or when...

Congrats! I'm glad to know they have a quick turnaround for Packet 4 and wish you luck with the interview.

On a personal note, your second to last paragraph is super bad news for me. I was really hoping to get a November interview but now that seems exceedingly unlikely. We have an NVC case number since Monday but our petition still hasn't left for the consulate. Ugh.

I suppose I can continue to hope that they might open more November slots after the current ones fill up. :/ Is it possible to register on us.visa-info.com to check on open dates prior to MTL receiving our case?

Perhaps I'm being pessimistic, but I feel "back online" doesn't imply "back to work."

In any case, it's been a while since we've checked in on each other to make sure we're all doing ok.

Personally, I've had better days, still trying to overcome a deep depression and anxiety that this whole process (coupled with other life events) started making me feel over the summer...things are looking up, but it's a slow recovery. I've also begun my graduate studies, and while it's exciting, it would be more exciting if Harel were here with me. He's doing good, too. His job in Mexico is keeping him so busy we hardly have time to talk these days, but he'll be able to move to a new apartment in a couple weeks that's closer to his job and, best of all, free of the overbearing landlord he has to deal with now (which, I saw when I visited last, is quite an uncomfortable situation he's in). It seems we're all set to have our petition move forward, just still waiting for anything to change... I'm of the philosophy life will always be challenging (I'm a realist at heart), but it'll be nice when we can face all these challenges together.

So how have all of you been? If you're still waiting, what's making the time go by? And if you were approved, what's the journey looking like now?

Wishing you and Harel an approval very soon, and a smooth journey onwards. I'm hoping that several March filers will get their NOA2 notice tonight, it's been so quiet since the middle of last week. There had to have been some approvals since then that just haven't made it to the system yet due to the IT issue that they seemed to have.

We were lucky to be approved at the end of August, and got our case number from NVC today. Very grateful to have made it this far, but getting more impatient than ever. Montreal is notoriously slow at doling out interviews... by the time we can schedule, I suspect November will be fully booked, pushing ours to December. I expect that some of those who are still waiting for their NOA2 may get interviewed before I do, as things move much quicker at other embassies. I can't wait for this entire process to be over!

Congrats! I first called after 1 week but was told they didn't receive it, when I called the second time, 11 days after being notified it was sent to NVC I got our case number.

So I was right and the petition sent to Tokyo was ours, I just checked the ceac site and it says READY!!!! Im expecting packet 3 sometime around this week and I can finally go get my japanese police clearance, I can't request for it without the letter from the embassy specifying I need it and for what.

I have to say I am impressed with the embassy in Tokyo, dhl site shows it was delivered at 14.30 local time and at 5pm when i checked it was already in the system. Unexpectedly fast

Congrats!! Glad to see things are moving fast.

We just got our case number from NVC! Our status from ceac.state.gov says "At NVC", but hopefully it will change to "In transit" very soon. I can't wait to schedule my medical & interview, but I've heard the Montreal consulate is kinda slow when it comes to receiving and logging cases. I'm expecting 10-14 days until I can send in packet 3.

Same here.

My case status still says approved on USCIS but on NOA2 it said it was sent to NVC, I dont know if that means it has been sent or not?

I would think that means it hasn't been sent yet, sadly. This is what my case status says on USCIS (see attached). If yours still says Case Approved in the title then I imagine it's still in TSC.

I feel like things have slowed down a bit this week. Hardly any new approvals. Could be that a lot of people took the week off after labor day weekend.

Called NVC for the first time yesterday but they didn't have our case yet.

I did ok with the long wait at TSC because I expected it to take even longer than it did, but now that the end of this process is in sight, I'm just getting more and more impatient!

Just make sure to bring proof of ties to Canada! Lease, letter from employer, etc. You could always bring a copy of your NOA2 as well, just as proof that you're doing things "the right way" and that he's intending to return to Canada until the process is over. Good luck, and congrats on the pregnancy.

I waited until the second status update was done on the CEAC website. The first status update was Aug 26 and the second one was Sept. 8. I figured the second one was when Montreal recorded it in their system. I didn't e-mail them, I just sent in Packet 3 that night (Sept.8) and received Packet 4 from them the next day (Sept. 9). I booked my interview yesterday and the earliest available was November 5. There were many spots left in November though.

Awesome, that gives me a good idea of when to proceed. Thanks! It's good to know that they send Packet 4 very quickly after you submit Packet 3. Fingers crossed that there will still be some spots open in November by the time I can book my interview.

Good luck with yours! I see we are moving to the same area: I'll be just a bit to the north, in Jacksonville.

Once you receive your info from NVC and it has left, you can start emailing Montreal-IV-DV@state.gov about a week after to ask if they've received your case. They will email you packet 3 (which I'm sure you already have from online) but once they email you that and the instructions- they'll ask for your ds-160 number and conformation, as well as the checklist for packet 3 filled out, and a copy of your passport. If you have everything ready this early you can email it back ASAP! I had my ds-160 done at the NVC stage but didn't send it off.

Thanks for the info! I didn't realize I could email them, the guide just tell you to call the DOS which didn't seem accurate anymore. I don't want to send Packet 3 too early, but I also don't want to lose any time... I already spent so much time waiting in line at TSC. I'd like to be able to book my interview ASAP cause Montreal is not exactly next door and will require some planning. I have my DS-160 all filled out, I just need to get some passport pictures taken for the last step.

Congrats on the approval!!

Hi folks!

It seems that the embassy process varies wildly from country to country, so I figured the Canada forum would be the best place to ask this question.

Our case has been sent to NVC and I hope we will receive our MTL case number very soon. Once I have that, I understand that I can track our case on the CEAC website. I've also read that it's pointless to wait for Packet 3 because it may never be sent to me. How soon should I complete the DS-160, pay the fee, and send them packet 3? As soon as our case says "Ready" on the case tracker? Or should I wait a few more days?

I realize that there is a K1 guide for Montreal pinned in this forum, but a lot of the info seems outdated.

Seconday question for other recent Montreal K1s: how far ahead are they booking interviews these days? Can I expect a November interview at this point, or is that too optimistic?

Thanks!

I answered "Yes" for this question. And it took about 5-6 weeks or a little longer to finish background check or something else and get my passport back. I think one or two holiday also caused the delay.

I had my interview in Montreal. During the interview, the lady was super-nice and I had strong feeling that they would issue my visa. But just as they said, I had to go through this check routine. Six weeks was very short. One bad thing for this was to book the air tickets in advance.

Following other people's suggestion at this site, I also brought my resume, publication lists and research summary. My research summary was pretty simply and it only had two pages. At the end of the interview. the lady just asked the copy of my resume.

Don't worry too much. You may be lucky to have your visa in one or two weeks:)

Thanks for the info, I appreciate it! I'll have to hope that the background check will be quick if it comes to it.

My specialization is ecology & conservation, I don't know how that could worry anyone! But if I interpret their question literally then I have no choice but to amswer "yes". At least then I can't be accused of trying to hide anything... I will definitely bring a copy of my resume & publication list to the interview, thanks for the tip!

Thank you all! I think I should answer "yes" for this question.

Hi! I don't know if you are still active in these forums, but I'd love a follow up. Did you answer yes to the specialized training question? Did it come up in the interview?

I have a PhD in biology so I had the same question!

We were approved last night, glad to move on to the next step!

Do we wait a couple of weeks and call NVC for the reference number? Does it get updated on USCIS once it has been sent to NVC?

Welcome to this thread!

You can keep checking your case status on USCIS, eventually it will change from "Approved" to "your case has been forwarded to the Department of State". It took 6 days in my case. I believe that will be the last update from USCIS, the rest will come from NVC/DOS. Once the file is sent, it takes about another week for NVC to receive it and assign a case number.

So, yes, you should be able to call NVC for a case number in approx two weeks! Once you have your case number, you can track your progress on the Department of State website: https://ceac.state.gov/ceac/