CandAm

Beyond Happy for my friend Idy. We were on this journey together and while ours ended a year ago this Sunday we have never stopped checking in on how things are going for you.Congratulations so glad the wait is FINALLY over!!!

Seeing everyone get their K1 visa so quickly is really disheartening...I wish I had just gone that route.

PriyaB so sorry that you are still waiting but do not lose hope. I have been in your shoes. The upside is that with YOUR Category of visa once you get ISSUED YOU do not have many other steps whereas with K1 there are other steps that they will go through. Trusting that you will get ISSUED before the holidays.

after 19 weeks , ohhhhh Praise The Lord the visa is issued. finally. I am the happiest person now, finally got to be with my wife once for all !! i sincerely wish for everyone to get their process come to an end soon specially Ldy. thank you Lord for you are so good.

Congratulations ahadu!! So happy for you.

I seem to be in the same situation as you.

Did your husband pass his interview also? Is he a Canadian citizen? I passed my interiew for my CR1 and I am a a Canadian citizen. I didn't get any other document...just the welcome to the USA letter.

We contacted my husbands congressman and I have sent emails...same answer every time. On October 21st, it will be three months waiting. The CEAC site doesn't even say AP for us...it's still on Ready. It hasn't changed, or I haven't noticed it change since the beginning.

PriyaB MTL is slow as molasses. We were stuck on READY for 8 weeks and probably would still be stuck if our Congressman had'nt gotten involved. I know you said you are a Canadian citizen. If that's not by birth but by naturlization that seems to be an area that slows their process even more. So sorry that you are still without answers. Hoping for good news for you next week.

Hi!!

Any updates from MTL?? my husband's case has been on AP for 5 month, the Medical and police report expired already, we haven't received any notification from the consulate requesting new ones. every email I sent and also one from my congressman and we got the same response, "Still under AP you need to wait, and blah blah blah"!!

Hi Idy sooooo so sorry that you are still in limbo Based on others who have been through similar indefinate waits MTL will notify you of your expired documents when they are in the final stages of their neverending review. Your hubby will need to get them at that time and geyt it to MTL inoder for them to issue his visa. I still can't wrap my brain around why they can't come up with a less painful process . Hang in there .Praying it won't be much longer.

I think I phrased this wrong. I was more wondering if there was a limit that they put on themselves for the time period after the interview to complete a case. I am going on ten weeks after a successful interview and I am unsure why this is taking so long.4

There is really no use for me to have my passport back because I only need it to go to the US and be with my husband.

I wish I knew if there was an issue or a reason why its taking this long.

PriyaB get your hubby's Congressman Involved. If your Congressman communicates through the Laison for Congress and the DOS and Consulates the response is within a day to your Congressman and usually will shed some light as to what the hold up is. Make sure that is the process they (your Congrssman and his office )are taking and that they are not just filling out the online Inquiry form. If your Congressman has'nt asked you sign a Privacy waiver then chances are he/she is not going through the chanel that will really help get you answers. Having been through this here is what I can tell you a) For a fact MTL is SLOW SLOW!!

B.) If your country of origin is on their list that requires additional and extensive background check it takes even longer and there is really nothing you can do to expedite the process. All you can do is WAIT.

C.) At interview the CO's do not paint an accurate picture of their process or turnaround time especially if you are issued a 221g or if any of your paperwork had an error etc.

D.) If the time you are waiting is extended it is usually for a Reason and MTL will not always communicate this to you on the Inquiry form They will send you their standard response. My experience was when my Congressman got involved there was movement and for others there was clarification of why they are taking so long to process the VISA.

Hard as it is try to stay positive . Hoping this week brings you your VISA

Hey everybody! I feel like I am at my breaking point and need to have a little rant so please bear with me. I am a Canadian citizen and my fiance is American. I had my interview at the Montreal consulate on Sept 21, 2015 and haven't received any update on my case since. The consular officer told me I would have my visa 1-2 weeks after my interview, which was approved, and no request for additional documents has been given. We have contacted the consulate, the congressman of PA, my Member of Parliament, lawyers, but have gotten nowhere. It's extremely frustrating because like others, we went ahead and planned our wedding in what we thought was more than enough time from the time we started this crazy process (we booked our wedding for Oct 11, a year after we filed), given the consulate and other sites have said the entire process takes only 8-10 months, as long as you don't run into any issues. The consulate's website even says it's takes "approximately 5 business days" for them to process visas upon approval.

Suffice to say, I need a lot of positive vibes, and will of course be sending those in similar situations positive vibes as well.

I can't believe it takes so long to process a few pieces of paperwork. I brought my fiance's letter of employment, proof of domicile and bank records (which they never asked me for). They obtained copies of my passport, birth certificate, my DS-160, affidavit of support, and my fiance's current income tax report.

The most upsetting part was we were expecting our families and his children (from a previous marriage) to be involved in our wedding, and it is just too hectic working around so many people's schedules, and my fiance is losing out on a lot of time for work trying to make all of our plans work out.

Yeah, it's just depressing. Rant done.

"mrs_xsnsn327" so sorry that you are still waiting. All of us who have been on this particular Forum have walked in your shoes or worst. If you were told at interview that your visa was APPROVED you may want to read the posts under "Waiting for our passports from Montreal" vs this Forum where most were actually issued 221g at interview for one reason or another. MTL is slow but even more slow if after interview they need to do a more detailed review. Are you a Canadian citizen by birth? If yes and there is nothing that bubbled up after your interview then it's probably MTL being their usual SLOW self. Hang in there. Hopefully the new week will bring you good answers.

Hello everyone.

I had my interview in Montreal yesterday and everything went perfectly until he started reviewing our I-864 and supporting documents.

My husband collects disability and workers compensation benefits which I had proof of it all. In the interview I was told that the workers compensation doesn't count which made no sense and that just the disability amount alone didn't meet the financial requirements. WHICH should have been noticed at NVC and given a checklist for.

We now have to get a joint sponsor which we have someone willing to do that for us.

My question is - does the joint sponsor now only fill out an I-864 form? My husbands name doesn't go anywhere on it ? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

"Nolabound So sorry that you didn't get approved on the spot. We've walked in those shoes so we understand.The good news is you have someone willing to provide the joint sponsor. It was one of the piece we needed as well. Just have the person complete the I-864 with all the supporting docs (Proof of income , (In our case they needed income of over $25000) &Tax Returns usually the two most recent ones -2013 &2014) and get it to MTL as soon as possible. The form will have information for the JOINT SPONSOR and the BENEFICIARY. They should have instructed you when you received the 221G to send via Loomis There is usually a wait of about 10 days from when you send it and they receive it to the date they actually acknowledge receipt because their mail goes to an off site facility and not where you had your interview. Once they do your status should change from AP to READY.. However MTL can take up to 8 weeks to review the document you sent prior to changing your status to issued. Hoping for a quicker turn around for you.

great thanks CandAm. good to know. i thought the involvement of your congressman did expedite your case.

Hey "ahadu" in our case we are convinced our congressman's involvement was a great help. However in our case we were issued the 221g for missing document. So we were in AP from the date of interview 5/5/15 until MTL received the document. After that our status was changed to READY on 6/2/15 and we stayed stuck on READY from June 2 until July 29th when the status was changed to ISSUED.. In some cases where you are issued a 221g in addition to the minimum 8 weeks or 60 days that they take to review your file and the documents you may remain under AP for an extended period because your country of origin is on their list that they feel require in-depth security checks and reviews. (It's really sad that they do not have a quicker and better process to review these cases especially when families are being subjected to long periods of separation Those are the cases where nothing really can be done to expedite the process. Sometimes you are not even given a 221g and you leave the interview thinking all is well only to find yourself stuck on AP for what seems like eternity!! However they may give more detailed feedback to your Congressman than they would to your normal Inquiry so it's good to get them involved and to stay on top of your case. Praying and hoping things move soon for you.

hi ldy i am sorry to hear that and its frustrating. just involved my congressman and today all of the sudden the date changed but still adminstration processing, just wondering if the date of your case has changed at the time your congressman requested or emailed MTL.

Hey "ahadu" whenever someone (you or your congressman contacts them the date on your case is usually updated. Sometimes the same day sometimes a day or so later. Your wait time is probably also being impacted by your country of origin even though you have sent them the required documents to satisfy what you needed based on the 221g. Hang in there.If your congressman uses the correct process he/she should receive clarifying information for you even though that won't necessarily expedite the process.

Hi everyone,

My husband recently submitted new medical results, a new police certificate, and his passport in response to a request from the Montreal US consulate. He had been in AP since his intervietakes aw back in February. Does anyone have any idea how long it could take from this point until he gets his passport back?

Any replies will be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

First MTL is slow !!! I am not sure the date you sent the items and when MTL received them ,however the fact that they have now requested these updated items is a good sign that the period of extensive AP review is almost complete I am not sure why he was on AP.If it was based on his country of origin that takes a minimum 6 months.They could take another 8 weeks/60 days based on the date they received the updated items but you are getting close to the finish line. We have walked in your shoes although we were not in AP half as long so we understand how difficult this period is. Good luck.

Hi!!!

I'm the only one left from our initial team lol!!! I'm going to miss you all!!!!

I wish you all the happiness in the world!! You guys have been amazing with your support!!!

I will continue trying to get an answer through the congressman and senator and sending emails to everybody that I could possibly involve on this.

Have a great weekend!!

Hang in there Idy. I know it's hard but I am praying that you will be next. Can't wait to do the happy dance for you.

I would like to provide some update. I got an email last night around 9ish that package was picked up and was being shipped to Brampton location. I got an email this morning that it was ready for pick up and I have it!!! I am soooo happy and hugged my passport after being apart for like 4 months . Planning to leave tomorrow or Friday via Lewiston since I have a bird. Thank you everyone for your support, listening to my rant and giving me guidance. Good luck to those that are waiting. It is really hard to wait (from experience) and nothing makes it easier but to state that there is hope and light at the end of the tunnel. Just keep on your application and push it, don't wait for it - that's the only advise I can give.

New User 1000 I am BEYOND Happy for you my friend. Safe travels and have a wonderful time reconnecting with your hubby. Wishing you joy and happiness in this next season of your life .Blessings to you my friend. .Welcome to the USA

Hi!!

No, they haven't answered yet. I told them to send another inquiry. Thank you so much for that info. it's so good to know somebody faced the situation and finally gave a good response. I will tell the person helping me at the congressman office.

Idy check your inbox I am going to send you some information.. You hang in there!!

ISSUED!!!!!! Oh man I still don't believe it. Sooooooooo Sooooooooo excited.

Thank you all for your support. It has been the longest, most terrifying journey but all of you here made it ok for me to go through it. I wouldn't be able to do it without the support of the team here. Thank you!!!!

Congratulations!!!!! I am soooooooooooo EXCITED and happy for you. As PROMISED my HAPPY DANCE!!

That is GREAT news!! I hope your days of waiting are over. Keep us posted!!

In other news Vanda and I got married on Saturday. It was a perfect "take two" beach wedding after losing our deposit on the first wedding we missed on July 19th! It was a picture perfect day before Hurricane Erika came through on Sunday. So now we're waiting for our marriage certificate and then we have the less-than enjoyable task of applying for a status change with US Immigration.

[/quote

Congratulations to you both. Wishing you a long and beautiful marriage.

Hi all,

I have some good news. I got this email from the consulate today. I am beyond happy and hope this means my visa will be issued soon!!!

Good morning,

Thank you for your email!

Please note that that your case is in its final stage of adjudication. Can you please confirm that once the visa is issued you will enter the United States through the Rainbow Bridge Port of Entry. Please confirm by sending an email to Montreal-IV-DV@state.gov.

Best regards,

New User 1000 I had an event today so I am just seeing this... I am BEYOND happy for you!!! :)

I sent them another email on thursday ( at least to see an update in the system) got same automatic response on Friday. exactly the same, word by word. Next week I will send another email because my second wedding anniversary is October 11. The case won't be CR1 anymore, they should change it to IR1. so I will send a notification 30 days before the aniversary, let's see what's the answer. I'm also hoping they answer to the congressman.

please keep me posted if something happens. Have a good week!!

[/quote

Idy and New User 1000 I am speechless!! This is really not OK and borderlines lunacy!! I am troubled that all the crazy rhetoric right now about immigrants and immigration as a lead up to the 2016 elections is adding to the madness. I am heartbroken for everyone still waiting on here especially you both because we were all in the May interview batch. It's easy to get beyond discouraged but my prayer is that your spirits will not be broken and that this week will bring GOOD news.Will inbox you later.

My fiance was denied the K1 visa at his interview under 221g and was told that our relationship has too many inconsistencies. What does that mean? Our relationship has been consistent since day one. I am confused. Does anyone know what this means?

Inconsistencies in your relationship could mean for example you state you have been involved with this person for X # of years yet you cannot answer simple questions about them etc. Here are some of the reasons I found from others on VJ in your situation that were denied. Maybe you can review with your fiance to see if any of these happened in the interview.

K1 Visas

-1 applications are subject to the same review standards as immigrant visa applications. The main reasons for visa refusal are: lacking documentation; need to review or verify evidence; lack of a petitionable relationship; misrepresentation of the facts;. A common basis for refusal is a prior marriage for the beneficiary or the petitioner that has not been legally terminated.

Lack of proof of bonafide relationship, not free to marry, already married ( in their eyes ) not enough money for affidavit , fiancé doesn't know details of work or family

didn't meet within 2 years, did not adhere to the cultural norms (such as didn't have an engagement ceremony when this is customary for the local culture, or one fiancé is much older than the other when this is unusual for the local culture). A very large age difference between the couple can cause concern. However, there is no specific age limitation.

Relationship a scam for immigration purposes only.

No common language/They are paying attention to Skype logs, wanting to make sure you can communicate together.

Fiancee commits a misrepresentation during the interview (or so it seems to the interviewing officer)

Fiancee interviews poorly and the consul doubts that there is a bona fide relationship with the U.S. citizen

Inability to establish concrete evidence to demonstrate to the CO that relationship is genuine.

Usually when K-1's are sent back to USCIS the petition will expire before it is re-adjudicated. You will most likely have to file again or get married and file an I-130. Before re-filing you must find out the specific reasons for denial, and address those reasons, or filing a new petition will most likely be denied as well.

Thank you CandAm for your prayers and input about this ap madness, it's good to hear from someone who has gone thru it before. I understand there might be a reason to put us on ap in my end it could be because I was not born here. But I been living in North America since the age of 13, with 0 criminal records. And I been in USA million times and went to school there( did a psychology degree). I have many family members who are a US citizen( dad and mom were also naturalized us citizens) including my son who is dual. My frustration is more so why not just be honest with us then. Better to tell us we will be put on ap and here is your passport back and you will hear from us when we are done. If the CO had said that to me, I would not have sent off my little boy to start grade one there.

"ray of sunshine" truly sorry that you are going through this. Unfortunately all of us on here who have been through this or are going through this can tell you that MTL CO's give you vague or incorrect information on the interview. For example they told my hubby get us the documents and we will issue your visa as soon as we receive the documents!!! Totally untrue..We were stuck on READY for over 8 weeks before we saw status ISSUED. When it comes to the country of birth piece they really do not care if you left yesterday or 40 years ago. If that is one of the countries on their list for additional review or automatic AP they seem to add that to their list of criteria as they do their review. Hopefully you won't be waiting much longer. Hang in there and try to have a good weekend.

Thank you for stating that it might take this long, it is giving me some type of hope. My interview was on aug 12th and was approved and was told I will receive my passport with the visa within 2 to 3 weeks. But I been on ap every since my interview, and people who were interviewed with me already gotten back their passport so I guess I should be patient there is a chance I will hear from them soon.

Hi Ray of Sunshine so sorry that you are in the MTL waiting zone.. There have been instances where you are told on interview that you are approved etc and not handed a 221g but then without any warning you are placed on an indefinite Administrative.Sometimes this is based on your country of birth if you were not born in Canada,Sometimes it's your profession. Based on reading other cases in the past They seem to be especially rigid on Tech people engineers and scientists. They do not seem to have any definite timeline. In our case my hubby interviewed on 5/5/2015 and was given a 221g to provide a missing police cert from Jamaica his country of origin even though he had not lived there in 40 years and was a naturalized Canadian citizen. We sent the document on 5/19 but it was not entered in their system until 5/29.. He was on on AP from 5/5 until 6/2 and then he was stuck on READY from 6/2 until 7/29!!! When they changed him to ISSUED .Took us a week to receive the VISA . Thank the Lord after 18 months apart he has been home for 3 weeks now. Hang in there. It's crazy and MTL is really poor in transparency and response. In fact they are AWFUL and SLOW!!! but they usually have a reason for prolonged Administrative Processing,even if it doesn't make sense. Pretty much everyone currently on here or who like me have gone through dealing with MTL understand your anguish annoyance and utter frustration but try to stay positive. Praying you will receive your VISA soon

...and its going on five weeks now.

"PriyaB" how are you doing? I actually meant to check in with you guys today. So sorry that you are still waiting.. Have you heard from MTL at all??

Hi!!

Nothing new! not even with the congressman they sent an email to MTL on Aug/10 and this was the answer and still waiting...

Thank you for your message to the Congressional Inbox of the U.S. Consulate General in Montréal, Canada

Hello,

Thank you for your message to the Congressional e-mail box of the U.S. Consulate General in Montreal.

Due to the high volume of messages, we appreciate your patience as we respond to your inquiry as soon as possible. Please do not send multiple messages regarding the same case, as this may create further delays in response.

We appreciate your patience as we research an answer to your inquiry. If you have an urgent request that requires immediate attention, please feel free to contact the Consular Correspondence Unit.

We look forward to serving you and your constituents.

Thank You.

Sincerely,

U.S. Consulate General

Montréal, Canada

Oh wow!! I have to say I have never seen a response like that to a Congressman... So sorry Idy and New User 1000 that you are still in limbo. It has been hectic here but I keep checking to see if I'll see the GREAT NEWS!!! I am praying that August will not end before you get some positive news.MTL is really on a different planet!!!

Has anyone recently received an interview letter for CR1 in Montreal ? We are still waiting - our C.C was July 15.

MTL is notoriously slow in assigning interview dates.. Actually they are slow period!! Use the time to review your documents as well as double and triple check the specific requirements of the Montreal Consulate. They will probably open dates next week. You could also check with NVC.The dates do not come from them but at times depending on who you get on the phone they can tell you or give you an idea of which months are are already closed off for interviews. Good luck .

Ugh, Still nothing. They checked it again today too.

I just sent them an email using the inquiry form.

Ugh, Still nothing. They checked it again today too.

I just sent them an email using the inquiry form.

Hang in there. Hopefully you should hear this week.