jle2234

The above responses regarding expediting visas, invitational visas, etc., are correct.  Such processes do not exist.

You are unclear as to what kind of danger your spouse is facing in his home country.  If he is in legitimate, serious danger, I would recommend taking the following options:

1.  Contact the United Nations Refugee Agency regarding the possibility of gaining refugee status (http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home).

2.  Contact the U.S. embassy in your spouse's home country.

3.  Contact an immigration lawyer regarding the possibility of gaining a tourist or other temporary visa for your spouse and then applying for asylum once arrived.  As others have mentioned, it is illegal to enter the U.S. on a tourist visa with the intention of immigrating.  It is imperative to speak to an immigration lawyer before pursuing this option to ensure that your spouse does not break any laws that would make him ineligible for immigration.  Also, if your spouse enters the country on a temporary visa and is denied his application for asylum, he would be required to return to his home country upon the expiration of his temporary visa.  Please, please, please speak honestly with a lawyer before entertaining this option.

If these options fail and your spouse remains in legitimate, serious danger, I would recommend contacting your congressperson.

Paid Fee:  9/28

POE:  9/28

Card Being Produced:  10/6

20 hours ago, Toronto88 said:

Thank you for the update @jle2234. I just wanted to confirm, have you been corresponding with the consulate at this email: montreal-iv-dv@state.gov

I emailed my travel plans to them yesterday evening and haven't heard back yet. I used the subject: Name  - Case Number - Travel Plans. But I don't think that caught their attention. My flight is October 21 though, so there is time. 

Also you had mentioned above that your passport was mailed on Monday, September 25th. Where had you seen this? Was it communicated to you by consulate in email? Thanks!

You are putting basically the same thing I did in the subject line.  I always put "Case Number Travel Plans".

You will get an email when your passport is mailed.  There is also a website where you can track the status of your case after the interview (http://ais.usvisa-info.com).  It will link to your CEAC status until your passport is mailed.  After your passport is mailed, it will show your Canada Post tracking number instead of your status.

Congratulations on your visa approval, @Toronto88!

Final update (but I am happy to answer any questions you may have)...

I did not get my passport in time to cross yesterday and had to change my flight.  The consulate never replied to my emails asking for assistance regarding how to handle this.  I would advise giving them over a week to get your passport to you, even if they accept travel plans with a shorter turn-around time.

I received my visa this morning and rebooked my flight for this evening.  I made sure to rebook my flight to be crossing at the same POE as was originally planned so my information would not need to be uploaded to a new POE.  I sent my updated travel plans to the consulate right away -- around 10 AM -- with the date of travel bolded since it was same-day.  The consulate responded to my email and there did not seem to be any issues with having changed my travel plans.

I crossed POE at Montreal Airport.  The initial border officer I came to was not familiar with the pilot project, but the officer next to him had heard about it.  They referred me to secondary, where I was directed to sit in a waiting area.  About five minutes later, I was called up and everything was ready to go.  The entire process took less than 10 minutes and there were no problems.

I can give you this update so far...

-  I am scheduled to cross POE today, September 27th.

-  I sent my travel information on Thursday, September 21st.  In my initial email, I said something like, 'Pending the arrival of my passport, these are my travel plans.'  This prompted them to reply on Friday, September 22nd, wanting to confirm my definite travel plans.  I replied right away, on September 22nd, confirming that those were my definite travel plans.

-  My passport was mailed on Monday, September 25th.

-  My passport has not yet arrived.  The Canada Post tracking number has not been updated since Monday.  I have run around to my local post offices who have confirmed that my passport will not be delivered today.  I have sent two emails to the consulate (one yesterday afternoon and one today) and have not yet received instructions as to how I should proceed.

This is a very frustrating process, as it looks like there is a chance I will have to pay for a new flight.  I am also not sure how this will affect my landing process.  My husband is trying to call the consulate from the U.S. (they no longer take phone calls for immigrant visa issues -- only U.S. citizens can speak to someone via telephone at the consulate).

I will keep you all posted regarding how it plays out.

My American husband moved to Canada a few years ago and filed from the U.S.  The filing time was approximately two months and the processing time was approximately four months.  However, we used an immigration lawyer to ensure we were doing everything properly and did not have any unnecessary delays.  The lawyer anticipated what forms, etc., we would need next, so they were ready to go when the request came.  Filing yourself may take a bit longer.

I know this is an incredibly personal issue, so I don't mean to overstep or be insensitive in offering advice.  It may be worth examining underlying causes for your issues rather than lumping everything in with your move to the U.S.  And, perhaps more importantly, it might be beneficial to determine if these issues would truly be improved by moving back to Canada.  For example, why is your husband continuously being laid off?  Perhaps you live in an economically depressed area, he works in a declining industry and/or he needs to upgrade his skills/education.

While this is just one of many options, if pursuing higher education is a goal for either of you, New York State now offers 'free' (I don't think it's quite so simple) undergraduate tuition to middle-class families.  And most colleges/universities offer health care plans and services.  For example, I am pursuing graduate studies at The New School in New York and would be able to utilize a group insurance plan through the school if my husband lost his insurance.  Just a thought in case it interests you.

My husband was my sole sponsor and filled out a I-864EZ, but I was still asked to bring his most recent tax return and W2 to the interview -- and they did check them.  Definitely do not ignore this.

Note that this seems to only be for the pilot project being run out of the Montreal consulate (Canadian filers).  There is no indication that individuals filing at other consulates should book travel before having their passport in hand.  I am also unsure whether the pilot project applies to all kind of visas or just certain kinds (I have an IR1 immigrant visa).

Also, for those going through this process, the State Department will reply to your email when you send your travel plans, so you will have confirmation that they have been received.

Here is the email I got when I emailed the State Department.  Hopefully it can answer your questions:

Good Morning,

The U.S. Consulate General in Montreal is piloting a project where immigrant visa applicants are supposed to travel without any immigrant visa packet. Once the immigrant visa is issued, we will place it in your passport and return the passport via courier services.

Your Visa has been issued, in order to finalize your visa application we need your definite travel plans, please submit the following by using this email:

·         Date of Travel

·         Are you traveling by Bus/Train/Air if you travel by air we will need Flight number and Airline information.

·         City/ Province of departure

·         City/State of Arrival

·         Final Destination

Once we received this information we will be able to mail your passport via our courier services. 

You will receive the passport without an immigrant visa packet. We will contact the U.S. Immigration Authorities at the port of entry of your choice and inform them of the “no-packet” process, in order to facilitate your entry into the USA.

Perhaps many of you know this already, but I wanted to give this advice to anyone filing through Canada who will cross POE using the new electronic pilot program.

I was approved for my IR1 visa on September 14th.  The interviewer told me that I would need to email my travel information to an email address provided (he was very nice, but would not take the travel information at the time of the interview).  I think he and I had a miscommunication, because he advised me not to pay for a flight before receiving my visa and passport via courier.  I mistakenly took this to mean not to make travel plans until I received my visa and passport.

I waited a full week without receiving so much as a notice that my passport had been shipped.  Finally, I sent an email to the address that had been provided to me and learned that, for individuals crossing POE under the pilot project, passports and visas will not be shipped until travel plans are confirmed and emailed to the State Department.

Needless to say, I waited a week for nothing!  It pushed my timeline back unnecessarily and caused some minor scheduling issues regarding dogsitting, etc.

I just wanted to let you know, because it was not made clear to me at the interview, that you must make travel plans before they will mail your visa.  You cannot wait until you have your passport in hand.

My visa was shipped within one business day of providing my travel plans, and they estimate it takes 1-2 business days for delivery.

I had my IR1 interview last Thursday, September 14th, and was approved.  The interview was quick and easy, and the interviewer said that he expected me to have my visa and passport within a few days.  On September 15th, my CEAC status was updated to say:  "Issued.  Your visa is in final processing."  It is now one week later and my passport is still at the consulate.  No one has told me anything -- just a generic message that it can take time to process the visa.

Can anything go wrong after you have been approved for your visa?  Or is this just a case of processing taking longer than expected?

Is there any update on this timeline?  My visa was approved on Thursday, September 14th.  CEAC lists my visa as being issued as of Friday, September 15th.  I have still not received a tracking number.

Interview was yesterday and visa approved!

I was going to provide some notes regarding Medisys, etc., but I hear there is a Facebook group now -- is that a better place to leave such notes?

Quick question regarding W2s...

I have my consulate interview on Thursday, September 14th.  The consulate has requested that I bring my husband's 2016 W2, as they said it was incomplete in the NVC uploading process.  Is there a second portion of the W2 that I am not aware of?  I uploaded the portion that you send it with your federal taxes, and it was accepted despite being labelled as "incomplete".

My husband's 2016 income included significant income from investments, which of course is not reflected on a W2.  I have a copy of the 1099-B to bring to the interview, but just want to make sure I am not missing a needed portion of a W2.

Sorry if this has been discussed before or if it in the wrong forum.

Do both the Montreal and Vaughn medical exam locations offer results via mail?  Are there differences in costs, processing times, etc., between the two locations?

Thank you!

18 minutes ago, cswalczakny said:

Did you do yours all through the CEAC system including your financial and civil documents? We're waiting on Montreal too but our case was just completed on 8/1

Yes, mine was completed 100% through CEAC.  All of my documents were accepted within 24 hours of upload -- no checklist.

29 minutes ago, Toronto88 said:

Thank you for posting an immediate update. After seeing your message I checked the website. My status has also changed to at "Montreal". I called NVC and my interview is scheduled for September 5th (case complete was July 18 - needless to say, first come first serve is not being followed). Good luck to everyone still waiting! 

Congratulations, Toronto88!  So happy to hear!

Some good news for those of us who have been waiting for interview dates in Montreal!

My "Case Complete" date was June 22, 2017.  I saw today that my status had changed from "At NVC" to "In Transit" so I called NVC... interview is scheduled for September 14th!

Good luck to everyone who is still waiting.

14 hours ago, Nattie_Bry said:

A VJ member said they received a checklist / W-2 got rejected because NVC needs to see the transcript.

 

I would like to go for the risk free option.

My husband had filed his taxes late and the transcripts were not available when we were uploading to NVC.  We uploaded copies of the tax forms instead and they were accepted without issue.  Note that we completed the taxes on the computer (using Acrobat Reader) and uploaded the documents to NVC directly from the computer file, so there should not have been any issue with legibility.

I am still awaiting my interview date at the Montreal Consulate after receiving my "Case Completed" notification on June 22nd. I last called NVC yesterday (July 17th) and they said nothing had been scheduled yet. We are getting quite discouraged, and are starting to worry that there may be something wrong with our case.

Has anyone else had similar experiences in scheduling with Montreal? Whenever I call NVC, I just ask whether an interview has been scheduled yet -- is there something more I could be saying/doing to move the process along?

Thanks in advance for your help.

6 minutes ago, K&Kir said:

Hello all,

 

I have reached a difficult time in planning and was hoping that some of you would be able to offer some advice.

 

I called Montreal medical place this morning and he said, "With an interview date falling on Monday, August 14, you will need to have your medical done before the 8th. And the only availability I have is August 4th." This means we would have to spend a whole 10 days in Montreal justtttttt to get the medical done before the 14th. I'm not sure about you, but I don't have money to hang out in Montreal for 10 days! +flight from Winnipeg +medical fee 

 

I have dug away a little about how hard it is to reschedule...the embassy has a generated response on the telephone when you are prompted for "immigrant visa question" which then tells you that they do not answer questions over phone and makes you go to their website about info. Which I've already been there, and seems as if this is the hardest way.

 

Should I ..

1) Book August 4th, pray they have a cancellation, and do not book a flight yet.

2) Suck it up and spend 10 days in MTL, book flight

3) Book medical in Toronto, fly into Toronto, wait 5 days, fly/rail to Montreal for August 14th. 

 

Did someone say there is a train from Toronto to Montreal? @Finayyy

 

Or... any of your lovely ideas?

 

Thank you so much for any and all advice.

 

I'm sorry you're having scheduling issues. There is good train service from Montreal -- you can get to Toronto very easily, although it would be an all-day trip. I personally love taking the train, and it looks like you can currently get a one-way ticket from Toronto to Montreal for as low as $58 (www.via.ca). I personally can't make the decision for you, but I would probably consider the Toronto/Montreal rail option if I were you. Note that the train can end up delayed, so definitely head to Montreal at least the day before your interview.

15 minutes ago, K&Kir said:

Everybody still waiting for interviews? @Toronto88 @Bernard & Colette @jle2234

I am still waiting. I called NVC today around 4:00 PM Eastern. The gentleman I spoke to originally thought my interview was scheduled, but then couldn't find the date and time. He put me on hold for awhile, then came and said that they must be working on scheduling the interview right now.

3 minutes ago, Finayyy said:

Scheduling an interview might take time with Montreal as they're usually slow to respond. I was fortunate to get a response quickly as I mentioned that my wife was pregnant and that they had an opening available. 

 

NVC usually contacts the embassy and the embassy will get back to them with the first available appointment. 

Thanks for this insight, Finayyy. Was it the embassy or the NVC who you told about your wife? How did you get the message to them?

I have been accepted to a Master's program in the U.S. that begins in August. I am really hoping to get my visa before it starts; otherwise, I will have to push back my start date to January. I'm wondering if I may get a quick appointment based on this.

Thanks again, and congratulations on the pregnancy.

11 hours ago, K&Kir said:

Wow, I really hope that it does not take that long to get interview date! In past posts, people were contacted within 24hrs... maybe the new system is taking off now, as in a lot of new people! Gotta keep my fingers crossed that it's still a fast turnaround from submitting stuff.  

 

@Min & Mark thanks for the detail on the medical, we will have to work out something in Toronto if it takes 3-5 days to get results! I wasn't thinking that we would be in Montreal for very long, so we should probably get it done when she vacations to Toronto. 

 

Still shocked that a CC from June has not been assigned an interview...I'd call them every day if that was me. Maybe with all the holidays? Here's to luck!

I called yesterday and was told it still hasn't been scheduled. I took only one business day for NVC to review and approve my documents, so I'm not sure what the hold up is. The Embassy in Montreal has had three holidays since my Case Completed notification (St. Jean Baptiste Day, Canada Day and Independence Day), so perhaps they are backlogged. I will keep you updated.

Incidentally, if you call the NVC re: an immigrant visa interview that is processed through the new e-filing system, you must choose option "5" on the automated menu (you'd think option "4", but that is for people using the traditional filing method).

Is there a separate thread for June 2017 upload filers? My Case Complete date was June 22nd. Still waiting on interview date for Montreal Embassy.

When we received our NOA2 a few months ago, we were given instructions (from USCIS or NVC -- can't remember) to wait one month before contacting NVC. We waited exactly one month then followed up with NVC via email and received our case and invoice numbers within one business day of our email.