TSC Blackhole

After almost a year of waiting my hubby passed his Montreal interview! They are ridiculously nice there. They we actually going to give us our Visa the same day but didn't want to make us wait in the waiting area any longer, so we came to pick it up two days later. The woman at the window said we were "Pre approved" whatever that means, I guess it just means they don't DHL the visa to him. Either way I'm happy!

Hi there! I finally have my Montreal interview tomorrow at 8am, well my husband officially but I am coming along...plus I was the one that did all of the paperwork! I has a question though, are they going to ask for paper copies of things that were processed electronically? Because we did electronic processing and filled out many things online only I do not had copies. Do I need to get them? Thank you!

I'm July 11th too!

Hi THere!

I'm a few days away from my husbands interview in Montreal and am just prepping some evidence, etc, and came across something that said I am supposed to register for a DHL courier. I wasn't sure if it was old information. Do I really need to register for a DHL courier before our interview? A few of the links were broken but I finally came across this page: http://usvisa-info.com/en-CA/selfservice/verify_account

I'd appreciate anyone clearing this up for me. Thank you!

Ok we can add another interview date to the spreadsheet! Just 2 days over my one year filing mark, hubby and I will have our interview date! July 11th! We might get that date pushed up a bit due to an expedite, but I think I'm ok with keeping that date, then hubby has lots of time to get al of his vaccinations.

Can't wait for this huge fiasco to finally be over!!!

Finally after 3 months at Nvc after they lost my emails, SIF!

But, is it weird that the NVC email response that said my case was completed had a completely different case number in the subject l line?

It wouldn't surprise me that they mixed up my case with someone else's...

I'm one of the filers that NVC messed everything up for. I feel like I am NEVER going to get an interview too. Emailed my supporting docs on 2/25 and they still have not reviewed them. It doesn't matter that it's been over 20 days, even my senators office wasn't able to get anywhere with them. I'm going on 10 months here.

Good luck, I hope NVC gets their act together!

Speak to a tier 2 officer AND contact your senate office. It is NOT too early. Good Luck.

My attorney sent the docs in 2x they lost them both spent 4.5 months at the NVC! I have no idea what they are doing. Ridiculous to say the least.

They have also "lost" my documents 3(!) times! Been here 2 months already

I've read here sometimes that it's kosher to contact a senator or congress person whenever your petition reaches the 5 month mark, and in a couple of days, I'm ready to start making annoying noises.

1) Is five months when this can/should be done?

2) Has anybody had success with this tactic?

3) Who better to contact? Senator or Congress Person?

I would urge you to contact the Senate office for your area. I contacted my senate office when my application was around 5 months. The aide said she wished I would have called sooner to get the clock ticking faster. Once they make an inquiry to USCIS, USCIS has a certain amount of time to respond to the inquiry. Thus contacting your senate office now may get the ball rolling quicker. Before I left USCIS I had an "expedite" on my case and it went to NVC a lot faster than if it hadn't.

All of that being said, my time at NVC has been a nightmare. I opted for electronic processing and NVC is saying I never emailed them my documents I sent in February which is a complete lie, I even have receipts from them. I contacted the aide that helped us before, and she said the same thing, she wished I would have contacted her sooner. The NVC went as far to say that I mailed them physical documents(which I never did) and say that I never emailed them. I sent all of my "proof" to the aide and apparently NVC, or whoever let the ball drop on my case is going to be in a bit of trouble because they totally screwed up. I know for a fact that the senator himself will be sending a not-so-nice letter to NVC. All I know is that it really helps having someone from your senator's office going to bat for you.

I'm not sure if this will get me an "Expedite" at NVC, I think you have to be on your death-bed for that, but maybe it will get me an interview sooner.

The squeaky wheel gets the grease. I would start contacting people now!

Mine only took 3 days. I would call everyday.

Or it could take 12 months. I will be close to 12 months and I had ZERO RFE's and have been with my hubby for 12 years. Plan on the slower end of things.

I have gone through this same thing at least twice, and both times having to wait 20 days for NVC to receive my documents. I originally emailed them my I-864 on 2/25, and by 3/24 they said they had not received it and to send it again. So I sent it again, along with the DS-260 supporting documents. By that time I was pretty upset and contacted my local senators office. The liaison called NVCo n my behalf and NVC said they NEVER received anything from me, nor did they send me an auto-response(so they say), and they also went as far to say that I MAILED them a package on 2/25. The liaison asked if I ever received confirmation, an auto-response or something form NVC, thankfully I saved them all! I emailed all the auto-responses from NVC to the liaison and she contacted NVC about that and the fact that I NEVER mailed them anything. Apparently they're "working on my case" now, but we'll see, I am not holding me breathe.

But I would urge you to keep any correspondence from NVC, even auto-responses. I would keep an eye on it and if you don't receive anything in 2 days I would email it again. I actually think no one was checking the NVC mailbox for the last few weeks, seriously. And calling and speaking to an operator does not help at all, they just tell you to wait 20 days.

Good luck and I hope they are not screwing you around like they did to m!

It's weird, I have about 5 different emails from them, all say the same thing. Hey, if they want to give me an IR1, I'll take it!

Here's the most recent example, and yes, I can't even begin to describe their idiotness.

Dear Sir/Madam:

The National Visa Center (NVC) received your correspondence.

As this case is processing electronically, all forms and documents must be sent via email as scanned attachments to NVCElectronic@state.gov . Sending physical documents to the NVC will delay the processing of your case.

We received electronic documentation for this case. The documentation will be reviewed and uploaded to your electronic case file.

If a period of one year passes from the last date of contact with the NVC (by email, telephone or mail), all submitted fees and documents will expire. In that case, your fees will need to be repaid and documents will need to be resubmitted in order to continue the immigration process.

Case Number: MTL2011******

Beneficiary's Name: ******

Preference Category: IR1

Your Priority Date: 07Jul2010

Foreign State Chargeability: CANADA

CONSULATE GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES, VISA UNIT

P.O. BOX 65, POSTAL STATION DESJARDINS

MONTREAL, QUEBEC CANADA H5B 1G1

E-MAIL: MONTREAL-IV-DV@STATE.GOV

Sincerely,

Kate

National Visa Center

Written Inquiry Unit

Serco Inc.

Support Contractor

NVCElectronic@state.gov

Weird, right? Is it because we've only been married one year, but together(with documentation) for 12?

Congrats to everyone with interview dates! I on the other-hand have been stuck with complete idiots at NVC who have managed to lie and say they haven't received any of my emailed packages, but that I snail mailed them a package in February, which is completely untrue, I emailed my I-864 in February.

Anyways, I had a question. I was always under the impression that CR1/IR1 were the same thing. But they are different, right? IR1 is for marriages over 2 years, and CR1 for those less than 2 years and so the GC has conditions on it. I applied for the CR1, but my correspondence from NVC says "IR1". Is this normal?

THanks!

Thanks, I've tried a few times and I'm still not getting anywhere. NVC has messed up so many times I just wish that I was granted an automatic expedite. I am wondering if the senator's aid I am working with will/can get farther than I can, and if I should just let her deal with it. She is super hard-working and helpful. I ended up hanging up on NVC this last time that I called because I was so frustrated. Hope that doesn't go into my file...

I was one of the unfortunate 36,000 people that were involved in the CSC-TSC-CSC debacle. I finally entered NVC after 7 months of waiting. Because I will be interviewing at the Montreal Consulate, I was able to optin for electronic processing. On 2/24 I emailed my I-864 to NVC electronic. Had to wait a little bit to email the DS-260 supporting documents because my husband had to order his birth certificate. I emailed the DS-260 supporting docs on the 24th of March and decided to call NVC that same day to see if they had reviewed my I-864...they said they never received it. Very odd because I emailed it over 20 days prior, so I emailed it again on the 24th of March.

I called up the AVR about 13 days in and it had changed saying they received my documents and I was missing some information. I phoned, and NVC said that it was probably in response to what I sent on 2/25, maybe because I only sent one of the two packages. Then a few days later I received an email from NVC dated 4/13 that was a checklist of things I was missing. It included literally EVERYTHING that I sent to them on 3/24. So at this point, being very frustrated, I contacted someone who works in my senators office that had started to help at the USCIS stage.

I got a response from her today and this is what NVC told her: That I physically MAILED the I-864 to them on 2/25(I did no such thing) and that though I have recorded proof of the email I sent to NVC w/the attachments, NVC insists they never received it NOR did they send me a response to it.

Once I got that email I literally flipped out. I went home to ream NVC out, and my phone line was dead, which was probably a good thing. So in the meantime I crossed my fingers and prayed that I had received an automated response on March 24th when I sent NVC 2 emails, with 2 separate attachments. I found both responses from NVC on the 24th, and even the one from 2/25, in which NVC sent me an automatic response to my submission.

I am just wondering what sort of recourse I have. I tried calling NVC just a few minutes and ended up bawling as usual, and the guy on the other end said that it hasn't been 20 days since I sent those docs on the 24th of March, so what was I worrying about. I know that the woman at the senator's office got as far as the congressional liasons office, so that would make me assume that she would know more than the idiot I talked to. I seriously cannot call NVC anymore because I can't maintain any composure because this whole Visa process has been so horrible I just want to scream.

If anyone has any advice on what I should do(or not do) next that would be very helpful. I don't know where I would be without Visajourney Thank you!

Congrats to everyone that has received their interview dates!

Also, a word of advice for anyone doing Electronic Processing(@ Montreal), do NOT email any of your supporting documentation before you receive your opt-in confirmation from NVC. I waited 30 days and my documents had still not been reviewed and after speaking with a supervisor I was told that if you send your documents before you received the opt-in confirmation they will be confused and not have a case to match the documents to! At this point I'm not sure that electronic processing is any faster than snail mail

Ugh I've been working on the DS-260 for days now! I am filling it out for hubby. He's having a very hard time finding all the places he lived since 16! I wish I knew what they checked.

did his parents receive any postcards from him whilst he was on that scholarship?

maybe they have some record of his addresses, stored in some shoebox, on those postcards?

Haha, I wish. But the reality was he was a 16-21 year old boy and I'm sure sending postcards to his mom would be the last thing on his mind

You don't think he'll have any luck somehow pulling records on his SSN to get the past addresses? I'm not even sure how we'd do that.

I really need to make time to read the VJ guides in depth

I received 2 emails from the NVC this morning:

The first at 1:29 AM with subject "ACL UNIVERSAL":

Dear Sir/Madam,

The attached correspondence relates to an immigrant visa referenced on the subject line. This case is being processed by the National Visa Center. Please read the information carefully and follow the instructions.

Then the second email at 1:35 AM with subject "PAOSF I-130 UNIVERSAL":

Dear Sir/Madam,

The attached correspondence relates to an immigrant visa referenced on the subject line. This case is being processed by the National Visa Center. Please read the information carefully and follow the instructions.

Their emails, in my opinion are slightly confusing. I got those same two emails back to back on the 23rd. One has the Choice of Agent form attached, and one asks you to pay the AOS. You're getting closer!

Does the DS260 actually ask for full addresses or just city, State/Province and Country, like the DS230 does? Either way, detail that is unknown can be entered as unknown. The key here is to have all the needed police reports. One is NOT needed from the USA, however.

Well I could only get so far in my DS-260 online because it wouldn't let me advance past a screen I couldn't finish filling out. But I did find a screen shot of all the pages and it looks like it asks for street addresses since 16. I wanted hubby to find all this info before I jumped into filling it out again. He might be able to name each street but definitely not the address. Hopefully the form will let me put down "unknown". Thanks for the help everyone!

Here's the doc in case anyone wants to see it:

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/49845403/DS-260-screen-shots

Hi,

I'm just getting ready to fill out the DS-260 for my hubby and I know that he needs to provide where he's lived since he was 16 years old. He was 16 quite a while ago, before internet and email and all of that. He was in the USA from 16-21 on an athletic visa and still has his american social security card. He has NO idea the addresses of where he lived when he was in the US for those 5 years. He lived with a billet from Sep-July each year, and each year it was a different home, and then he would go back to Canada in the summer.

He was so young when he was doing this that I don't think he has any formal record of where he lived during that 5 year span. Is there any way to find out his addresses? I don't want to omit them from the DS-260 because I'm sure they will show up tied to his Social Security Card.

Thoughts? Thanks!

Good to know other people are in a fairly similar situation. Too bad that we're a 6 hour drive apart and a daily commute isn't possible