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If you applied 4 months ago and quoted processing times are 3.5 months then I wouldn't think you'd be outside of normal processing times yet (remember the 3.5 months is only for 80% of cases). You need to put the date it in at the bottom of the page and it will tell you exactly when you can inquire.

Not sure when you applied but check current processing times here - https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/ And then scroll down the page to the 'Get Inquiry Date' and you can put the date in and see when you will be outside of normal processing times and can send an inquiry. If you've sent it before that date then that's why they won't have responded.

Another vote for Skyscanner. But check return prices too, they're often cheaper than a one way!

You’re in it. I remember your case, just checking you’ve held things up at the NVC stage so your kids applications can catch up? You’ve not got an interview scheduled yet? You can request they are all scheduled together when the time comes.

Then it’s produced once you’ve entered the US on your immigrant visa and paid the green card fee. Takes ~90 days to arrive after the latest of those two things. As @Lemonslice said, please fill in your timeline. It’s really hard to answer questions without it and it pays it forward and helps others too. It’s on your profile.

Then that’s why they said she abused her visa. She was in effect working illegally - as said above it’s a job that she took from a USC, even if she wasn’t paid to do it then somebody else could have been. So that coupled with trying to enter the US when she had a ban in place means there’s no point in reapplying for another visitor visa this soon. Leave it a good few years then try again. In the meantime, your wife might want to petition her sister for an immigrant visa, if you think there’s any chance she might want to move permanently in the future? It’s a long old wait and her past history shouldn’t impact that so I’d get the I-130 submitted asap even if you only think there’s a small chance she’ll want to move at some point. Good luck.

Entering as a visitor though, not entering on your immigrant visa and becoming a LPR.

No, OP says it was issued in November and expired in March. I think it’s absolutely worth a try.

There was a bigger backlog then which thankfully has been reduced, it used to be 2 years from DQ to IL, now it’s half that.

If she overstayed by 8 months then she triggered a 3 year ban, which presumably was still in effect when she tried to enter 2 years ago? When were her first two visits and how much time between them? If they said she abused her B visa privileges then it sounds as though they were close together and they suspected she was trying to ‘live’ in the US on a tourist visa. Or possibly they suspected she was working? How did she support herself for so long without income? I don’t see her getting any visa for a long time with that history, ideally she’d leave it a few years before trying again.

That just tells you that the agent hasn't got a clue what they're talking about, Tier 1 agents rarely do. Your kind of visa is an immigrant visa, and every single IV holder has to have it endorsed before the expiry date - you've been given the links to tell you that above from official sources, but for ease they are below again. https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/temporary-i-551-stamps-and-mrivs This is the step by step process for your type of visa, step 12 is what you need to look at - https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant-visa-process/step-10-prepare-for-the-interview/step-12-after-the-interview.html From the Montreal immigrant visa page - https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Supplements/Supplements_by_Post/MTL-Montreal.html And this page says the following - https://www.cbp.gov/travel/international-visitors/visa-waiver-program/requirements-immigrant-and-nonimmigrant-visas An intending immigrant must present the immigrant visa at a U.S. port-of-entry prior to the expiration of the immigrant visa. An intending immigrant becomes a lawful permanent resident once the immigrant visa and accompanying paperwork is reviewed and endorsed by a CBP Officer. As said above, you're not currently a Legal Permanent Resident ('green card holder') so no green card can be sent to you. You're just a visitor with a visa you never used.

Contacting Montreal and hoping they don't just say 'tough luck, start again if you want another visa'.

OP says visa issued in November and valid until March in his post above. So definitely expired and never used it seems.

OK, so not sure what you mean by 'maybe will get lucky', you certainly won't be sent the green card as you are NOT a permanent resident of the US. You never used the visa, and never activated your status. You need to contact Montreal urgently and beg and plead for them to reissue the visa. Best of luck.

So are you saying it's definitely not been stamped before expiry? Have you checked it? I'm just hoping for your sake that it has been on one of those US visits and maybe you just didn't notice!

I certainly wouldn’t trust any answer from a Tier 1 rep. But perhaps the OP did ‘activate’ his LPR status and just doesn’t remember. I hope so for his sake anyway!

Great. Now you just need to check the visa in your passport and make sure it's been endorsed prior to the expiry date on it.

Honestly, don't use Grok or any kind of AI! It's already given you duff info. If the agent wasn't a Tier 2 agent (i.e. your query wasn't escalated) then they are just call centre agents and have no info in front of them really, so I'd take that with a pinch of salt. But you can easily check, if the visa has been endorsed then it will have a stamp with your admission date and A number either on it or right next to it. If it has then you're all good, if not then the visa has expired and they won't send your GC as you're not yet a LPR of the US. Also, you can check using the receipt number from when you paid the fee, what does that status say on this page? https://egov.uscis.gov

I would just use the form you did last time, and mention in that that you've already applied but had no response. Good luck!

So not only are they making up figures to try and get you to sign up with them (there is no way of them knowing the situation of applicants etc), but they're also suggesting that your gf commits immigration fraud?!? It is an interview under oath, and any lies could result in a lifetime ban from the US. I would run, not walk, from this company as they sound dodgy as hell. Just get her to apply on her own, be truthful, and see what happens.

Congrats! I don't think I've ever seen anybody say SB-1's are always denied, but the general advice on VJ is to just get yourself on a plane if the GC is still valid. We've seen people who've been out for many, many years be admitted with no issues. Hope your move back to the US goes smoothly.

You won't have your GE approval, as you can't be approved without an interview. But you can be interviewed on arrival in August and then hopefully be approved and it for future trips. I'd recommend the MPC app if you don't have it already, lots of family and friends from the UK have used it when visiting us and breezed through immigration, you get to skip the huge line and it's just much easier.

You should be contacted either way but yes, plenty are rejected. I'd chase it up if you've definitely heard nothing (assume you've checked your junk/spam folder?) as you should have had a decision by now.

I would personally. A waiver for what?

I'd find one via AILA personally - https://www.aila.org