YVRDualCouple

And another day goes by with no change. Our file was last touched on June 23.

This Thursday will be ELEVEN WEEKS since our clean interview. Our file hasn't been touched in a week.

I can't even get a call back from our lawyer any more, and our congressperson told us "case closed." Truly feeling helpless.

I wish someone, somewhere would provide answers.

Thanks for letting me vent.

I'm crossing my fingers for you especially, Trenz! You've been in this long enough. I don't have the exact link, but look up US Department of State Consular Affairs on Facebook. The top post says all posts worldwide are working this weekend to clear the backlog, and one of the comments on the thread says they will be caught up before the July 1 holiday. I've learned not to believe everything I've been told, but it does give me hope for everyone out there who just want to be with their loved ones.

I'm shocked that no one from the June interviews has posted about asking the interview officer questions about delays...why aren't applicants doing that????

We are now beyond TEN WEEKS since a clean interview, where we were told to watch for Loomis in 7-10 days.

Since I last posted, we have had the following happen:

1) our member of congress was not provided any truly helpful or enlightening information. We were advised that we were in AP. The congressional office has informed us that our case with them is considered closed. I assume at some point they would go back to bat for us, but they have irons in a lot of other fires. Hopefully we won't need their services again on this issue.

2) almost simultaneously with the congressional involvement: our file did move on the CEAC website from Ready to Administrative Processing--after a full month with no touch. The file has been touched several times since then, so we are cautiously hopeful that whatever they needed to research or process has been completed, and that the visa will be issued along with all other approved applicants this week.

At this point, emotional stress from the delay is wreaking havoc on us both. Life-function processes are being negatively impacted by this delay, including missed job opportunities, missed important family occasions, and more. The consular officer who interviewed us in Montreal seemed so kind, interested, and humane; it's been really hard to stomach the follow-up treatment.

Good luck to us all this week...may the visa printing gods and Loomis be with us.

We were handed the "Welcome to the United States of America" letter at the end of our interview. The officer was very friendly. Told us 7-10 days to Loomis. This Thursday will be NINE WEEKS since our sparkly-clean interview. And crickets.

Our congresswoman's office has been told our case is in administrative processing, and her team has requested more info on what's happening. I'm trying to get them to advise if it would muddy the situation and her effectiveness if I also begin sending emails to the consulate.

Strangely, our online status still shows ready, and the most recent "update" was May 15. Ouch. We are trying to not lose hope as our emotional and economic hardships are mounting.

To those of you about to go: ASK QUESTIONS!!!! Are the promising you a visa in 7-10 days or not? What could delay it? How long? Insist in details! Ask for a phone number!

I like to ask a question from all who are waiting for their visas more than what they were told to wait.

Did any of you received the "Welcome to the United Stated" letter _welcome letter_ after their interview at embassy from the officer?

If you don't mind please let me know. Thank you

We are now into WEEK 9 since our interview. PAINFUL

Our member of congress' office is investigating, and thus far they have learned that we are in "administrative processing." That's more than the consulate has told us. Our online status has never changed from "ready" to "AP," and shows the last update on May 15.

Our congressperson's office has requested more information about the AP--we'll see what happens next.

Today we hit 8 WEEKS since our clean MTL interview where we were told the visa was approved; expect Loomis in 7-10 days.

Our status has never changed from "ready," and the last time our file was touched was May 15.

We emailed once, got the standard no-info response. We see no point in pestering with emails until (God forbid) the actual 60-day mark, now four days hence. We are hopeful the the request from our member of congress will jiggle our file loose. I suspect our file is in a stack or electronic queue somewhere collecting dust.

I repeat: if you are headed to Montreal for an interview, ASK THEM QUESTIONS ABOUT POTENTIAL DELAYS AND REMEDIES. I wish we'd had that advice.

People should heed this advice!

I am not sure if you saw this above or not YVRDualCouple, but I had just asked a small question about you contacting your representative:

"Just out of idle curiosity, as I just contacted my (soon-to-be) representative, how long did it take from the point of sending in your privacy release and letter explaining the situation to getting your reply that they sent a request in to the appropriate consular office?"

Hi Trenz--

Sorry, your request slipped past me. After receipt of our privacy release and explanation letter, our congresswoman's office sent me a confirmation within about 24-48 hours (I'm a little hazy, but it was quick), stating that they had submitted a request to the appropriate department (I assume that is the US Department of State).

Hope that helps.

I will repeat it again and again: those of you who about to go to Montreal for your interview, ASK QUESTIONS. Come back more enlightened about what may be ahead for you than folks like us who believed the officer when she said, "we will be issuing your visa," and told us to watch for a loomis number in 7-10 days.

ASK ASK ASK. You have nothing to lose by politely inquiring about what may happen next.

Thank me later.

That is understandable. To be honest, I am at around the 4 week mark since my interview and my fiancé and I just yesterday sent an email to our representative. As to whether or not this will help, I am unsure, but it is literally the only course of action we have.

My only advice is to first find your representative's website and scour it looking for a "privacy release" form which you will have to sign and scan/fax back to them. It essentially gives them permission to inquire about your issue. I would say do not wait, get that contact letter/email in as soon as possible. If you were given the standard "2 weeks from today" line from your interviewer then you are surely owed a response or investigation into why this hasn't happened.

This whole thing is beyond acceptable. It appears there are now at least THREE of us on this thread who are utilizing the services of elected officials to try and unblock the Montreal consulate. It doesn't make sense that this is happening--that the consular officials are so blatantly not delivering on their promises.

Our congresswoman's (Tulsi Gabbard, Hawaii) office confirmed that they have sent a request to the appropriate place, and will let us know what they hear back. I should think that the minute an email hits Montreal with any of our MTL numbers and a congressional request, our file should get opened and dealt with. We shall see.

We are approaching EIGHT WEEKS since our interview. Really our ONLY course of action at this point is our the help of our member of congress. If, god forbid, this drags into the 10+ week point for any of us, perhaps we should try to get our respective congressional offices working together to figure out what's causing a division of the State Department to make promises they don't keep, and effect a solution on a larger scale. I'm sure Montreal isn't the only consulate where such things are happening.

This is all so far below the radar of the average American citizen, and it's amazing to see Americans' faces when we tell them what's going on. "But you and your (Canadian) husband are such good people; America should feel lucky to have you," they say. Yup. They're right.

Thoughts?

CanuckMoran:

Based on our experience, you should not make ANY plans, especially not moving to the States by mid-July.

Go back in the thread and read my suggestion about questions you should ask during your interview.

We are now approaching 8 weeks since our clean interview, and nothing. We had many plans--I and our cats already are living in the States as domicile had to be established. My husband remains back in Canada.

Our congress person is now involved, and we are awaiting the information they can obtain.

Hey there… that's really really tough. I am finding THIS wait tough, I can't imagine yours. I am just wondering, as I am not convinced those status updates mean ANYTHING at all. Have yours been updating through all these 7 weeks? Also, did you lawyer contact the consulate and get any useful information? (I am assuming not, since you said he/she was baffled as well). I don't think it's the same sex thing - I've seen plenty of people here get approved and get the issued thing right away.

I am really hoping the congressperson will come through for you!!!!

Howdy all,

Tomorrow (Thursday) marks SEVEN full weeks since our MTL interview; nothing yet. Our congressperson's office has not yet responded, but they claim the mail got lost earlier.

Our lawyer is of no help at this point, lawyers have no contacts beyond the same email address as the rest of us.

Also, our case still says "ready," and the last touch was May 15. We have not been moved to AP, let alone issued. Hoping that the congressional office can help. Otherwise we're really getting confused.

Just thought I'd say that it is absolutely ridiculous the amount of time you have waited, especially considering you were given a promise of 7-10 days. I was given the standard "2 weeks or less" promise as well. I have not waited anywhere near the time you have, but I have become increasingly anxious. As the days drag on I can feel myself getting worn down a bit further.

I do not blame any one individual, as this is clearly a multiple person process, but do these interviewers not understand the emotional roller coaster they put people on when their proposed timeline comes and goes? This is not merely a product someone is waiting for in the mail; no, this is quite literally someone's life that they are awaiting on. Employment, marriage, family, and a whole host of other important things ride on that passport and visa package arriving.

Unexpected backlogs or not, is it too much for people to ask that the consulate stick to the timeline given to us?

Thanks Trenz,

Obviously, the Consulate cannot stick to a timeline, and in that case they shouldn't even provide one. They should simply say "welcome back to the black hole...don't call us, we'll call you."

Of course they probably consider everything they are doing to be under the cloak of US "national security," so that means top secret. I suppose every now and then they have a true security threat, so they have to treat the rest of us with lowest-common-denominator status.

We have tried and tried to guess why our file got pulled for delays. And we are beyond baffled. Even our immigration lawyer is baffled. We are a same-sex couple, and our marriage was completed long before it was even remotely plausible that the US would begin accepting same-sex couples for immigration (we were betting on 15-20 years...well into our retirement period, if ever). So it can't be legitimacy of the relationship. We honestly just don't know.

To add insult to injury, our congresswoman's office called this morning to tell me they never received the letter (wet signature required) we sent 2 weeks ago. Another federal agency (USPS) drops the ball?

You can always use the online form to contact Montréal as well and if your visa is taking longer then 2 weeks, with no extra docs, I suggest you do so. K1 can take a bit longerthan CR1 and i notice if a male vs female is moving that also takes a little longer occasionally.

Thanks for this reminder. I'm just starting to work with our congresswoman's office to try and prod the consulate.

We had our interview nearly SEVEN weeks ago, and it was all smiles and goodness and the promise of 7-10 days until Loomis would arrive with the passport and visa packet.

Crickets.

I have an April 30th CC and was scheduled for a June 17 interview (IR-1). I think/hope I have everything I need. I'm a little nervous about the issue of domicile because my husband lives with me in Canada, but I have a long list of proof that he plans to move on July 1. My hope is that I can move with him at the same time (fingers crossed, since we have to vacate our current apartment on June 30), but we do have a back-up plan if I'm denied at the interview. He'll still go ahead on July 1 and I'll temporarily move in with a friend. It seems silly that they would make us do this, but we've leaped through much bigger hoops in the 18 years we've been together, so one more won't be the end of the world. I'm trying to be as calm about this as possible and take things as they come, one step at a time.

JJ: do not ignore my advice. ASK THE INTERVIEWER about potential delays.

We are now in a very similar situation to yours. We lived together in Canada for years (and were married long before even thinking of coming to the US), but I now must live in the US for domicile--plus we put the wheels in motion for our new life here...we bought a home in the States and even our cats already moved across the border. But alas, we are now approaching SEVEN WEEKS with no visa. My husband is doing same as your plan: living with friends. But that is getting old.

Don't let the Consular Officer say "have a nice day" without you asking them if they're promising that your visa is being issued by a certain time, or if it could be delayed. If they say delays are possible, ask them why, how long it could drag on, and what you can do to prevent delays.

Thank me later.

Thank you for responding!! And these are folks who were told they were approved correct? Not the folks who got the form to send in additional docs, etc?

We were clearly told at our mid-April interview that my Canadian husband's US visa will be issued. No additional info or docs were requested. We were clealy told that we should have the Loomis courier shipment in 7-10 DAYS. We are now beyond SIX WEEKS, and nothing.

This is why I'm suggesting that people start asking the interviewer about this possibility.

It is exasperating and exhausting for folks like us who are waiting for no apparent reason. Had we been smart enough to ask some questions, perhaps we wouldn't be living in limbo, and we'd understand. We are paying for life in two countries now, since I've re-domiciled to the US in order to meet that requirement.

Very important suggestion: YOU ask some questions, too!

Don't let the interview officer be the only one to ask questions, you owe it to yourself to ask the questions noted toward the end of this post.

We had our Montreal Interview in mid-April (2015). Everything was in order, the interview went smoothly. The consular officer (interviewer) told us in clear, unmistakable terms, "we will be issuing your visa," and that we should be hearing about the courier/Loomis delivery to Vancouver within 7-10 days. My Canadian husband was handed the "Welcome to the United States of America" form letter.There were no caveats, and no mention of potential delays. Have a nice day.

More than SIX (yes, 6) full weeks have now gone by, and we have not received his visa packet (including his Canadian passport). Trying to get an informative, helpful answer out of the Consulate, on our own, has proven impossible. Online, our file still says "ready," not "issued." On the phone the Consulate receptionist actually told me to contact my member of congress. I've done that, and am awaiting their response.

Here's the suggested questions:

At the end of your interview, if you are led to believe you are approved (as we were), ASK THEM TO CONFIRM THAT THEY HAVE APPROVED YOU. THEN ASK IF THERE IS ANY POSSIBLE REASON WHY YOU WOULD NOT RECEIVE YOUR PACKET ON SCHEDULE. Ask if they are overloaded, or working on schedule. Tell them you've heard cases are sometimes substantially delayed post-interview without explanation, and ask them why this might happen. If they say it's possible, ask them how you can best get it resolved.

I'm not advocating that you be pushy or combative--that will not get you anywhere. Just polite, and inquisitive. It's good for them to be reminded that people on the outside of their consular bubble talk about their service.

The person on the other side of the glass is real and has feelings. This is your ONE chance for you to connect with someone, inside the machine of your visa journey, on a human level. Take advantage of that. I can only wish we'd had this advice 2 months ago. You can thank me later.

Mind you, I'm no immigration expert--other than the fact that I immigrated (successfully) from the US to Canada over a decade ago, and am now sponsoring my Canadian spouse for the reverse journey.

Chances are the Consulate will do just what they say they will. But YOU could also end up like us: more waiting, being filled with anxiety, emotionally exhausted, and financially stressed ... and even watching job opportunities for my spouse slip by.

Very important suggestion: YOU ask some questions, too!

Don't let the interview officer be the only one to ask questions, you owe it to yourself to ask the questions noted toward the end of this post.

We had our Montreal Interview in mid-April (2015). Everything was in order, the interview went smoothly. The consular officer (interviewer) told us in clear, unmistakable terms, "we will be issuing your visa," and that we should be hearing about the courier/Loomis delivery to Vancouver within 7-10 days. My Canadian husband was handed the "Welcome to the United States of America" form letter.There were no caveats, and no mention of potential delays. Have a nice day.

6 full weeks have now gone by, and we have not received his visa packet (including his Canadian passport). Trying to get an informative, helpful answer out of the Consulate, on our own, has proven impossible. Online, our file still says "ready," not "issued." On the phone the Consulate receptionist actually told me to contact my member of congress. I've done that, and am awaiting their response.

Here's the suggested questions:

At the end of your interview, if you are led to believe you are approved (as we were), ASK THEM TO CONFIRM THAT THEY HAVE APPROVED YOU. THEN ASK IF THERE IS ANY POSSIBLE REASON WHY YOU WOULD NOT RECEIVE YOUR PACKET ON SCHEDULE. Ask if they are overloaded, or working on schedule. Tell them you've heard cases are sometimes substantially delayed post-interview without explanation, and ask them why this might happen. If they say it's possible, ask them how you can best get it resolved.

I'm not advocating that you be pushy or combative--that will not get you anywhere. Just polite, and inquisitive. It's good for them to be reminded that people on the outside of their consular bubble talk about their service.

The person on the other side of the glass is real and has feelings. This is your ONE chance for you to connect with someone, inside the machine of your visa journey, on a human level. Take advantage of that. I can only wish we'd had this advice 2 months ago. You can thank me later.

Mind you, I'm no immigration expert--other than the fact that I immigrated (successfully) from the US to Canada over a decade ago, and am now sponsoring my Canadian spouse for the reverse journey.

Chances are the Consulate will do just what they say they will. But YOU could also end up like us: more waiting, being filled with anxiety, emotionally exhausted, and financially stressed ... and even watching job opportunities for my spouse slip by.