ayazk

We, like others, also got a delay notice at midnight yesterday with the new ETA being Tuesday, but it looks like it just arrived in Richmond this morning. Really crossing my fingers and toes hard it gets to Burnaby PO today. Will be driving straight to POE to activate my IR1 visa if I can somehow get my hands on my passport today.
 

Update!
 
Yesterday, my wife was able to pick up her passport from the office! Woo
We paid the immigrant fee online - it was a little confusing finding the right numbers to input
"A- number" - listed directly on the as the Registration Number
"DOS Number" - had to call USCIS for this one. It's your NVC case number (MTL...), but without the last two digits...super weird. 
 
One other thing is I was expecting a sealed packet along with my wife's visa. I guess this is no longer true with the introduction of CEAC, online processing. So, she just got her passport back with the visa inside. 
 
Wife's flight is tomorrow afternoon (yeah, I paid a premium for booking 2 days in advance, but I want her here haha), so I'll let you guys know how it goes at POE (YYZ Toronto Airport).

Update!
 
Yesterday, my wife was able to pick up her passport from the office! Woo
We paid the immigrant fee online - it was a little confusing finding the right numbers to input
"A- number" - listed directly on the as the Registration Number
"DOS Number" - had to call USCIS for this one. It's your NVC case number (MTL...), but without the last two digits...super weird. 
 
One other thing is I was expecting a sealed packet along with my wife's visa. I guess this is no longer true with the introduction of CEAC, online processing. So, she just got her passport back with the visa inside. 
 
Wife's flight is tomorrow afternoon (yeah, I paid a premium for booking 2 days in advance, but I want her here haha), so I'll let you guys know how it goes at POE (YYZ Toronto Airport).

After 3 very sleepless nights, I finally got my tracker from Canada Post just now along with the automated email from DOS indicating that they've shipped it. Like others, tracker doesn't yet work since Canada Post hasn't picked it up yet but YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!! 
 
Interview: November 28, 2018

My Husband got his passport and also like ayazk said there was no sealed envelope. I was very specific with my husband to NOT open any package that said DO NOT OPEN. But there was nothing! All that was inside was the passport with the visa stamp and the same Welcome to the United States letter he got at the visa interview. I am sooooooooooo glad this is over and done with and I get to actually spend the holidays with my husband and family.

Update!
 
Yesterday, my wife was able to pick up her passport from the office! Woo
We paid the immigrant fee online - it was a little confusing finding the right numbers to input
"A- number" - listed directly on the as the Registration Number
"DOS Number" - had to call USCIS for this one. It's your NVC case number (MTL...), but without the last two digits...super weird. 
 
One other thing is I was expecting a sealed packet along with my wife's visa. I guess this is no longer true with the introduction of CEAC, online processing. So, she just got her passport back with the visa inside. 
 
Wife's flight is tomorrow afternoon (yeah, I paid a premium for booking 2 days in advance, but I want her here haha), so I'll let you guys know how it goes at POE (YYZ Toronto Airport).

Update!
 
Yesterday, my wife was able to pick up her passport from the office! Woo
We paid the immigrant fee online - it was a little confusing finding the right numbers to input
"A- number" - listed directly on the as the Registration Number
"DOS Number" - had to call USCIS for this one. It's your NVC case number (MTL...), but without the last two digits...super weird. 
 
One other thing is I was expecting a sealed packet along with my wife's visa. I guess this is no longer true with the introduction of CEAC, online processing. So, she just got her passport back with the visa inside. 
 
Wife's flight is tomorrow afternoon (yeah, I paid a premium for booking 2 days in advance, but I want her here haha), so I'll let you guys know how it goes at POE (YYZ Toronto Airport).

Update!
 
Yesterday, my wife was able to pick up her passport from the office! Woo
We paid the immigrant fee online - it was a little confusing finding the right numbers to input
"A- number" - listed directly on the as the Registration Number
"DOS Number" - had to call USCIS for this one. It's your NVC case number (MTL...), but without the last two digits...super weird. 
 
One other thing is I was expecting a sealed packet along with my wife's visa. I guess this is no longer true with the introduction of CEAC, online processing. So, she just got her passport back with the visa inside. 
 
Wife's flight is tomorrow afternoon (yeah, I paid a premium for booking 2 days in advance, but I want her here haha), so I'll let you guys know how it goes at POE (YYZ Toronto Airport).

Update: 
2018/12/05 10:54 VANCOUVER,BC Item available for pickup at Post Office  
 
I must've sounded off all the alarms yesterday. Beyond frustrating but this was a nice surprise to see! Hubby is going today to get it when he gets a break from work.
 
 
Interview Date: 11/6/2018
Package mailed: 11/21/2018
Date Available to pick up: 12/5/18
 
still says the expected delivery date is: 
Expected Delivery  
2018/12/13   For those of you in similar situations as I was, don't give up! Email  canada_contactus+ca+career+en@visaops.net to make the Consulate look into it. Call Canada Post and make sure they flag your package as a passport and immigration documents. 

Well never mind my previous comment, my passport has arrived! I wasn't home to accept it so it's at my local post office and I'll pick it up tomorrow morning! Hooray!!!

Just an update for everyone
Yesterday the estimated delivery date said today, 12/04/18
Today that updated to 12/05/18 - I got a little too excited so guess I'm not booking that ticket for my wife home
 
Best of luck to everyone!

So frustrating... couldn't sleep all night in anticipation of getting tracking number. Looks like we might have missed the cut-off date for today since it sounds like people got their tracking number and email from the consulate first thing in the morning. And because of this stupid mourning day tomorrow, no activity is going to happen until Thursday which means I won't be seeing my passport this week. Just a never ending roller coaster ride.

It could be! Maybe the delays at Montreal already cleared up. Though mine was in transit for 2 days(limbo) before transitioning to “check delivery process” then back to in transit again.

Thanks for the continued updates... My interview just a day after you two who got tracking numbers today so hoping for the best... 

Just Canada Post pick up since it's not too far from her house. At the time of registering her appointment, I didn't know about the strike so I didn't really take any of that into consideration

Well ladies and gentlemen I had called the other day to open a ticket with Canada Post about my hubby's passport and documents. The responded to us by telling us we need to call the Consulate to open an investigation. So I called them today and the guy on the phone was very confused why they would email that to us. Put me on a veryyyyyyy long hold and then came back to tell me that we do indeed need to call the US Consulate because the package is MISSING!!!!!!!!!! He said it's not lost, but it is missing, and due to their agreement with the US Consulate it has to come from them as it is sensitive material. If you have extra wine send it my way 
 
Visa Interview Date: November 6th, 2018
Date they actually mailed it: November 21st, 2018
 

My visa was approved Nov. 5th, and it was sent to me from Montreal Nov. 23rd. It arrived at Ottawa yesterday, Nov. 28th. I chose the regular Canada Post delivery, and had to go pick it up. 
 

This is the Montreal office that she called
 
+1 (438) 793-1947
 
Options 1, 8, 4 according to wife. Hope this helps!

This is the Montreal office that she called
 
+1 (438) 793-1947
 
Options 1, 8, 4 according to wife. Hope this helps!

Many thanks for sharing, I guess I'll give the number a call too. Interviewer didn't mention anything about the strike but admittedly I was too emotional at the time to have asked about it too. Would be great if they're still holding passports at the embassy, would feel a lot better with a private courier taking care of it given what others have shared about their experience.

Here's a little hope for you and anybody else that recently had their interview or is having their interview soon. 
After the interview, my wife was given a sheet of paper for passport tracking with some phone numbers on their to call for questions. 
She called the Montreal office phone number and they explained to her that in 5 business days, she will get an email stating that her passport is ready to go. After that, we can pick it up or we can authorize somebody to pick it up for us (we'll most likely use a courier service). 
The lady said that the Canada post strike is still in effect (contrary to the news?), so they won't be mailing out the passports quickly. 
 
I'll follow up with all of you on what happens with the passport. I'm trying to get my wife here asap, so I don't mind spending a few extra bucks to expedite the process at this point! 
 
Best of luck to everyone

Pick up at a local Canada Post in the greater Toronto area

Just in case anyone is not yet aware, this was on the CTV news website today and should be all over the news by now. Hopefully this helps out some of you who need to make plans for the Passport return after the interview. 🙂
 
Good luck to everyone ! 
 
CTVNews.ca Staff 
Published Tuesday, November 20, 2018 12:51PM EST 
Last Updated Tuesday, November 20, 2018 5:34PM EST   Federal Labour Minister Patty Hajdu says the government will table legislation to end the Canada Post strike unless a resolution is reached “over the next few days.”
Developing story...
   

It looks like everyone is having to call. The emails haven’t gone out as of yet. 

@ayazk is 8/22 and @jhk89 is 8/7 (although he hasn't been online in a little over a week)