davealton

it's ridiculous!!! I will love to know what are they doing in there!!!

oh my gosh. you should quote this email back to them on their facebook response that immigration visas weren't affected! Ours was sitting there for months!

Congrats Davealton. Wow that is a LONG time. Did you have a clean interview? I cannot believe that they are taking 6 months to do this, ridiculous.

Yes, the officer said the interview went really well. We have no idea why he was put into AP. It has been 3 months.

Hey everyone-

Our visa was ISSUED today!!

87 days in administrative processing - no documents were required.

Idy I hope you can take encouragement from this, I know your interview was about a week after ours.

Keep us posted!

Our status date updated!!! It's not issued, but the date is updated!!! Almost 90 days of waiting. I hope our visa is issued soon!

Wow how time flies when you are having "fun" stalking CEAC!!!! with your FAITH and your VJ community as your main source of sanity... Finally almost 3 months to the date of interview 5/5/2015 my hubby has his passport WITH Visa AND his Big Brown "DO NOT OPEN" envelope in his hands!!!! Today 8/5/2015.!! Who knew !!! Our 18 month Odyssey will come to an end on Friday when he does POE and we get to just hug him again. For those of you still waiting DO NOT LOSE HOPE or become discouraged. Hang in there. Cheer for those who get ISSUED even when your heart is breaking because there is always someone going through what you are going through or worse. Your ISSUE is on it's way. My prayers and thoughts will be with you and I can't wait to do the happy dance for you. Thank you to EVERYONE who supported me during this journey. I will always be grateful to this site. Honestly I would have been so much more prepared if I knew this site existed way back in March 2014..Good Luck everyone still waiting and HAPPY REUNION to those finally going home.!! Thank you Lord!!

You're amazing. Congratulations. Very happy for you!

I am really happy for all those that got their visa issued this week. But it has been another week of disappoint for me. Monday is a holiday here in Canada so there goes. No status date or status changed . I can't feel angry anymore but just sad and disappointed this in entire process.

Actually if you look on the consulate's website, the holiday is everywhere except Quebec Quebec gets an extra holiday Jan 2.

I will keep praying Stay encouraged. Will update when we get the Loomis pick up notice. My heart is happy but I wished everyone else received ISSUED today. It's just not right what has taken place at MTL. Hang in there everyone.

CONGRATS!!!

That's awesome. I think it's time to contact our congresspeople.

Happy Wednesday!! OK so my hubby's file was upadted yeserday (triggered I think by my email) and then today.. Not sure why!! But today is the 29th and I really had to shake my head. THey have had the required documents now since May 29th exactly 2 months !!! Lord give me strength.!! Fingers crossed that one or all of us hear something positive today..

That is really encouraging - I hope yours is issued today!

Our case status was updated this morning too, but we sent them an email this morning about an updated police certificate. However, I checked it 15 mins after they responded and the date hadn't been updated yet (I had told them they didn't need to check on my case, just wanted an answer to a general question). Does the date usually update for you guys as soon as they respond? I am wondering why there was a delay. I'm probably having false hope here, but I do hope someone of importance saw the conversations we started publicly on their facebook page.

MTL's facebook reply to whether they have a plan to work on the immigrant visa backlog. Idy - just the response we were expecting, hey?

You can see this and other comments on their "posts to page" section, on the left side under their photos and videos.

https://www.facebook.com/U.S.CGMontreal?fref=nf

Oh dear Lord I thought we had a bad case. That is so torturous not knowing their real reason for AP. We (my hubby had his interview on 5/5 and was on AP until 6/2..ONCE they received and reviewed the documents. So we have been stuck on READY longer than we were on AP. None of this makes any sense. Anyway hopefully your wait is almost over. My heart churns at reading 12 weeks but to be honest all that's different is that they switched ours to READY(small comfort because it does nothing!! ) so we have been in limbo since 5/5. Hang in there. Fingers crossed and prayers for a change to ISSUED for you this week.

Aw you are lovely, thank you so much. Will be praying that yours gets sorted this week too!

Just to clarify .... The documents ie Police Certificate and Medical must be current prior to the ISSUE of your VISA... Pretty much the length of time you have between Issue and the date you must do your POE is determined by the date of your Medical.. That's the timeline . So if you had your Medical in April count 6 months from that date and you must do POE pror to that date. If the Medical or Police cert expires while we/you are stuck in this LIMBO stage they have us in they will email you or send you as in my friend's case SNAIL mail to inform you to provide them with current ones. So if you already had your ISSUED you should be good to go. ycross

Ug, they snail mailed it??

Thanks. I'd love to send in an updated certificate now, but we're going to follow our lawyer's advice and not do so until we're told. Though it kills me!! Hopefully it'll be issued in the next few weeks. So stressful.

devealton are you on AP or waiting like us on stuck on READY?? If yes to either do you know why?? How long have you been waiting?? ago I wouldn't send in anything but I would suggest you get it if it gets close to the expiration date. One of the persons I referenced was not missing anything at interview and was approved..... but then came the AP for months and had to provide updated Medical before the VISA was Issued..based on what I have seen since I have joined VJ it really doesn't matter what was when you interviewed they need current stuff prior to issue if you have been stuck in AP for reasons unknown or if you were issued a 221g . However follow your lawyers guidance. They should know the process ..

We are on AP, and have been since MAY 11 - the interview date. This is our 12th week on AP.

They would not give us a reason. No extra documents were required. My husbands is Canadian 8 generations back - he is a software engineer so it may be because his career is on the technology watch list, which requires clearance from DC. Our case date stopped updating on May 26. So we think all of the security clearances are over, and it's just been sitting at Montreal in the queue. The interview officer told my husband it should only take 3 weeks!

If your police certificate or medical expires before they complete the review you must send them current ones. My friend on VJ Police certificate expired while she was in AP for a missing document. When they received they document they sent her a letter requesting a new Police Certificate. Kept her in AP until they received that. She was the Issued her visa on the day they started printing again in June. She now has 3months to do POE because her Medical will be expiring in October or thereabouts. There is another person who was in AP for over 4 months. They Issued his visa and gave him two days to do POE because his physical was due to expire. So if you think your stuff may expire get them updated. Everything has to be current at time of Issue. ONCE you are issued a 221g or you are placed on AP in some respects it's a fresh review so everything needs to be current.

Thanks so much for sharing your insights. I wonder though if there may be a difference for people who were not required to send any documents (like us). For instance, maybe because all our documents were complete they were able to approve them or something at the time of the interview.

At any rate we decided to wait for them to request an updated certificate. Our lawyer advised not to send in an updated certificate unless they ask- we don't want to send in something that will complicate or delay our case.

This is in our case and GO AHEAD TMRW MORNING and do the police certificate and mail it ASAP.

our case was reset to 8 weeks since the police certificates arrived. (June 18th...) & and I mailed them my passport on May 15th !!!

I was sure the 8 week count would be from when the passport arrived, but of course.... BIG NO.

you do need to cross the border with a valid one. so at this point I would advise you yo just go ahead and do it, it takes up to 10 days for the RCMP to mail it back to you and then Loomis...

good luck !

Just so I am clear, did you have an up-to-date police certificate at your interview, which then expired while you were in AP?

Thanks for sharing your experience.

I would question whether its necessary to get an updated police background check if you have a valid Visa at the border? At the interview they go through and verify the validity of all your documents. If there is something out dated at that point you would have to submit it, but once they validate, say, your medical, if your case gets delayed, you shouldn't be subjected to another medical.

We have called the Border Control at the Peace bridge (our POE), several times about cats and cars and mattresses and they are very helpful. I would call them and ask if you have a valid visa do they still require a current police background check. I can't imagine them requiring it you have the Visa. It's not like they are adjudicating the visa.

Keep us posted!!

Thanks for the advice! We'll definitely call ahead and ask the boarder if the certificate needs to be updated before crossing. We are worried it will expire while we are still in AP - husband's visa hasn't been issued yet.

That is just the biggest "We have the power bullying tactic I have ever seen". Today one of my hubby 'so friends warned me against contacting MTV. Told me that the perception is that it will make his file go right to the bottom of the pike because they resent our "audacity' to inquiry on our loved ones behalf. Unreal but they have EVERYONE including the lawyers running scared. Andy & Vandyhave you tried tracking your passport?? Loomis forgot to email one of my VJ friends the other day so go back to your Loomis account and check if you haven't already done so. I am not going to be intimidated into silence and give credence to bullying.

Yes we thought it was a scare tactic, and after talking to the lawyer we are so unsure.

You mentioned you were worried your police certificate would expire. My husband's expires Aug 22, so we are terrified they will request a new one if our visa isn't issued before then, and then our case will be back at the bottom of the pile.

It seems absolutely ridiculous - the interview date should be the point in time it needs to be up to date. Have you heard of other people who've had to send in an updated certificate because their's expired during AP?

Thanks

Just a warning to everyone, our lawyer said after the 60 day mark, you can email MTL and after that you can only email them every 30 days.

We're at 2.5 months in AP for anyone who is counting

Hi davealton!

you're right, I've waited as long as they say, now I have the right to ask. Let's see what's the answer. :-)

Thank you!!

Hi Idy,

Just a warning - My lawyer told me not to email Montreal again. Apparently if you pester them too much they really can delay your case, it's not just a scare tactic. But your first email is just fine!

Not sure I agree with that statement. We received the following warning after sending multiple requests:

"Sending multiple inquires regarding the same issue when you have already been answered will cause additional delay to your file."

Yes I remember reading that - I think they are just trying to get you to stop sending multiple enquires. I can't image the email operators really have the power to penalize you and affect where your paper work sits in the officer's pile.

At any rate, this other person hasn't enquired at all - my response from them after 60 days was automated, but very polite.

Hi everybody:

The first 60 days on AP for my case will be next monday/20, they have done only 1 update, (jul/7) but no communication from the embassy or additional documents has been requested, after seeing so many cases that are waiting unnecessary I'm afraid of sending an inquiry and affect the process. any suggestions Please!!!

There is no evidence that enquiring will delay your case. The operators aren't the ones working on it, and they "welcome" you to enquire after 60 days. Thought I think you'll get the same automated response, I don't think there is any harm. Please let us know the outcome!

Have any Canadians tried calling the NVC? We're thinking about it, maybe they'd know if the security checks or whatever the agencies are doing are over. (We're on AP for "no reason", 2 months and 1 week now.) Please let me know if you'd had any luck calling the NVC at this stage.

Our case creation date is Oct 15 2014.

So sorry to all of you who've been waiting! Take care of yourselves. Pain and stress are inevitable, but there are ways to deal with stress so you don't get sick or depressed.

Hi Davealton, My interview was on May 27 and was given a 221g for missing a document. The consulate received it on June 4th and have been on ready status since then. The last case status date was June 28th. I sent them an email with inquiry and I got the exact same response today. The officer told me that it would't take that long once I submit the document but it has been more than a month now. This has truly broken my heart and it truly is sad. It is NOT only frustrating but there is a lot more to than that. The stress, grief, waiting and among many things they aren't thinking about that truly hurts from this process. I understand the frustration going here and now I just stop checking my status. It hurts me more to see nothing happen to the status so it is whatever and I am going to go on living a life that is a bit normal than clicking a button to check my case status.

Thanks for sharing. It's good to know you got the same response.

I think a problem is that they are still backlogged from the world-wide visa printing delays. Even now, it's taking 2-3 weeks for people to get their visas who were approved at their interviews. Normally it only takes a couple of days. Since in your case it is just a document that was needed, hopefully they'll catch up on their immigrant visa paper work soon.

In our case, we can assume the visa case is with a security agency in the states doing record checks or something like that. We were not required to send in docs. So we've lost hope that our approval will come anytime soon.

Hi davealton,

Unfortunately still in AP, CEAC shows status updated Jul/ 7 ( Don't know why they "touch" the file and don't send a notification about what's happening) so far they haven't requested anything else. my 60 days will be on the 20 this month.

Please let me know the answer to your email. hope will be a positive one!

That's nice that your case was updated! Our date hadn't been updated since May 26

This was my email to them and their reply. Sadly not helpful at all.

On May 11, I was given a 221 g letter at my interview for my IR-1 visa. The officer/letter said I did not need to send in any more documents, but my case needed additional administrative processing. The officer told me this processing should be complete within 3 weeks. It has now been 60 days. I check my visa status on the CEAC website daily.

As I've waited the required amount of time before enquiring, can you please answer the following questions about my specific visa case?

1) Can I please get an update on where my case is at in this process?

2) Can you please let me know how much longer this processing is expected to take?

3) If you are unable to provide answers to 1) and 2), are you able to send me the name, phone number, email address, or mailing address of a person or department whom I can contact to answer these questions and/or enquire about expediting my case?

My family and I are immensely grateful for any help you can give me.

This was their reply:

Good day,

We reviewed our consular records and confirm that your visa application is still undergoing administrative processing.

We realize that these extended time periods cause frustration to many individuals, and we are sensitive to the fact that the purpose of the immigrant visa program is to facilitate legitimate travel to the U.S. Nonetheless, the Consulate in Montreal, like all U.S. Embassies and Consulates, must adjudicate visas in accordance with the provisions of the law, and, in some cases, this involves extensive administrative processing. While we cannot predict when the processing of your visa will be completed, please be assured that the Consulate and the State Department are aware of your concerns and will contact you as soon as the processing is complete.

Meanwhile, you are welcome to regularly visit https://ceac.state.gov/CEAC/ if you wish to verify the status of your case online.

If you wish to have your passport returned for travel purposes, you may request it by completing the public inquiry form here. We will then return the passport using the Loomis courier services and request it back when the administrative processing is complete.

I hope that this information is useful.

Sincerely,

Hi to all!!

any updates on your AP in Montreal for CR1? My husband had the interview may 21, the CO (female) told him "everything looks fine" but give him a white 221g, now 11 days on AP.

Hi Idy,

Are you still in Administrative processing?

I received the 221g letter as well, even those everything was fine at my interview in Montreal (May 11). Emailed them today, but all they can say is that the case is still in AP.

i think thats just a standard reply but i got responded to the same day.

Hi Zirq,

Did you email them using the form on the Ottawa site or an email address?

Thanks.