biggish data

I know exactly how you feel, like nothing matters right now. I wish everyone would just STOP asking me when I'm going! We all don't know and it's driving us insane. I was so happy just to see someone in this forum finally get an interview this week, it made me cry

no sh!t. If my parents or my inlaws or anyone else asks me one more time "have you heard from the consulate?" I will so bite their heads off. I know they are being supportive but sheesh. Again, sorry for the rant, I know you understand.
L.

I hear you, after being asked the same thing every day by more then one person, my last nerve is raw. I'm to the point where I don't answer the phone, door or emails. I go to work come home see Alan on line go to bed. They have our lives on hold for as long as they want. Oh then there is the "reach in the YMCA's mail box to find yet again Nothing". I was wondering though, how good is the medical, RCMP check and passport pictures good for. Yet another worry!!!

Whew it feels good to rant

Thanks, Sharon :innocent:

Alan & Sharon

Not Telling

Canada

2007-07-18 18:09:00

Could you add us to the timeline please....we've reached "the" waiting stage.

That they're into March offers some kind of hope........

Thanks!
Mary

oh no did they miss us again???? Bad enough packet was received in Montreal Dec, I guess I'll get Alan on the phone again today.

Sharon

Alan & Sharon

Not Telling

Canada

2007-07-18 07:40:00

I wish I had heard about this earlier, I live in Ottawa and am moving from a 2 bedroom to a batchelor on August 1st since I have more waiting time and because of the wasted space since my daughter moved out with 90% of the funishings. If I had a furnished bedroom for her she could have had a better environment to spend her time than the Y does. There are others here from Ottawa that if they read this just might be able to help Sharon with a more decent short term living arrangement.
I am truely sorry that everything is taking so long for you and Sharon, there is no rhyme or reason for Montreal to do as they are. I hope someone from here can help her so it would be much easier on both of you.

Thank you so much for the support, it has helped just knowing someone cares. I swore I wouldn't read the forums due to the waiting but glad I did today. Again ty everyone xoxox

Sharon (L)

Alan & Sharon

Not Telling

Canada

2007-07-16 00:26:00

Well, IF they are processing for February now, MAYBE we'll get an appointment sometime this year. It just irritates me that we submitted our packet in early December, and not until MAY did we discover that they had only processed it as of February. We were told back in January that our information was in the system THEN. NO ONE there has any idea where their buttcheeks are I don't think.

Oh well, we'll see.

Alan & Sharon

Not Telling

Canada

2007-07-15 18:18:00

Sharon lives in Ottawa, and I'm in the deep South. It's just been rough, living in a 10 x 8 foot room for as long as she's had to. What started out as a probable 2 month at most stay, has turned into a seemingly endless phase. To top it off, they usually only allow a stay of 6 months maximum, but the manager there has been very kind to her, so at least she's not having to pack up and move AGAIN. We video chat online every day, and seeing "home" and wanting to be here of course just amplifies the depression of sitting alone in that "cell" for lack of a better word. I've been to Ottawa to visit her last August, and if this process keeps dragging out, I'll head that way again soon, but I have to tell ya, closing up my business and moving to Ottawa is looking better and better, lol. I hear Canada is looking for immigrants, maybe we in the US should just pack it up and move North. I think for most of us, it's just been a matter of horrid timing. First, they changed up the rules with the addition of the new background checks last spring, then along comes the Passport regulations which swamped the State Department, and of course the debate about immigration (legal and otherwise) here hasn't helped, with all of our representatives tied up in THAT debate. But to top it off, all you hear about in the news these days are the illegals crossing the borders over and over again, and getting a slap on the wrist, told "now be nice and go home, or we'll have to talk nastier to you next time" while WE get to hear from our Government "quit bothering us, you'll get your turn when we decide you will, so shut up, sit back, and WAIT." Just keep the faith folks, it can't get any worse now could it?

Alan & Sharon

Not Telling

Canada

2007-06-29 09:29:00

Just to update you, Still nothing from Montreal. I've been spending most of my time trying to convince Sharon not to give up, but she's about at the point of complete despair. She's been living in a room at the YWCA for a while since all of this was supposed to have happened by April, originally. Those 4 walls have been closing in on her for a long time now, and I can understand her frustration waiting for what has seemed like an eternity now. (Just to let you know, she couldn't renew her lease since she was anticipating the move here way back at the first part of this year, so the "Y" was a "temporary" stopgap for a month or two until the appointment. Well, that's turned into 6 months, and looking like it will drag on for at least another couple of months.) I'll let you know.

Alan & Sharon

Not Telling

Canada

2007-06-27 09:42:00

Hello everyone.

Sorry it's taken so long to get back on here, but work has kept me pretty overwhelmed. Just to update you on OUR situation, I've just gotten off of the phone with my Senator's office, (obviously because nothing has moved forward on our case yet) and Montreal has given her yet another story. First, they are telling her that our process was completed on FEBRUARY 7th. I'm not exactly sure how this part of the process goes, but we had received notification that our packet had been received and entered into the system back in December. They also indicated that they had received an inquiry from our congressman. They promised that the case would be processed as fast as possible, but that no one receives preferential treatment (we all get the same shitty treatment in other words). I was really freaking out seeing all the January applicants getting interview dates while we sat here wondering ####### was going on up there. Well, I guess it makes perfect sense if our packet had been laying on someone's desk for 2 months. I'm dreading the call to Sharon to tell her this latest news, as she's been at her wits' end for the last 3 months. But what can you do........

Once we DO have an interview date, I'll be driving 1300 miles to pick her up, then head to Montreal, get the visa (hopefully), and then we plan on driving back via the Blue Ridge Parkway and camping for a few days before getting back into MORE Government paperwork and waiting.

Keep your smiles on, this has to end sooner or later for all of us :whistle:

Alan & Sharon

Not Telling

Canada

2007-06-08 08:48:00

Hello folks,

My Congressional aide just emailed me after having FINALLY gotten someone in Montreal to answer her requests. THis is her reply to the inquiry:

Alan,

I finally got a response from the Embassy. I hate to tell you this but your case probably will not be ready for interview until late summer...maybe late July. The reason you were given such bad information is because the computer couldn't "see" the number of pending cases. The estimate is based on past cases and the rate of processing. So...the Embassy had a 4 months backlog in December but now a six month backlog. Interviews are only scheduled a month at a time because the system is unable to do it any other way. I'm so sorry I couldn't give you better information. The reason that your case might be taking longer than others is based on when the Embassy actually gets the case, not when it is first put into the system. I don't know if any of that information actually helped you...at least the paperwork isn't lost somewhere!!! Tell Sharon I'm so sorry I couldn't give you better news.

EOM

Well, there may be SOME upside to it. THey DO have the case, it IS in the system, they just don't know what the hell is goiing on because evidently, no one there knows how to work a computer. It's no wonder the US runs out of Work Visas for highly educated applicants in under a week. Evidently, we NEED them. Oh well

Alan & Sharon

Not Telling

Canada

2007-05-15 20:33:00

Latest Update on the Consulate.

From what my Congressman's office is telling me, Montreal (and all consulates for that matter) will do about as much work as necessary to keep their workload close to the projected timelines. Once it begins to get well in excess of their capabilities to keep up, they will eventually bring in help from the State Department temporarily to get processing times back in line. What this means IS, the projected timeline is an AVERAGE processing time, and as long as they are within that AVERAGE, nothing much will happen. They have a directive to bring their caseloads to within that average timeline, not to actually MEET it. The local Consular officers will, once the processing will exceed the MAXIMUM processing length, request additional help so that they can catch back up, but as soon as the case load is back within their projected AVERAGE, the help is released.

What this means to US. If the projected processing times on their website say 6 months, then the timeframes can be anywhere from one day to ONE YEAR. Now they don't want to have too many of us at the UPPER end of that range, but they ALSO do not want too many in the LOWER range either, because then their average timeline would be reduced, and any increased workload would make them look bad by missing their goals. With a faster average processing time, this creates more opportunity to MISS that goal more often, thus making that Consulate look bad. No Consular official wants to look bad. So they concentrate all of their efforts at keeping the status quo. So those applications that were submitted back in August, and have had to have corrections, replies from us, etc. all of a sudden begin to receive more attention as their time on file reaches the threshold of processing time. So then, OTHER processing comes to a halt, or is put on the back burner temporarily, which pushes EVERYONE back.

Evidently, they are now approaching that dreaded UPPER END, after having caught up previously with a backload at the end of last year. It goes in cycles with them. Get caught up, process normally and begin to fall behind again, then send out for more help, pull 24 hour shifts (any of you here long enough will remember getting emails on Saturdays and Sundays for a brief while).

What can WE do? Call your congressional offices, senators, lawyers, etc. Place ENOUGH pressure on Montreal, and they will YELL FOR HELP from the State Department to quell the uproar before someone's head is handed to them in a basket. Now, IF you are willing to let the cycle take it's natural course, it will probably peak within the next few months, and then Montreal will suddenly be sending out masses of appointment emails. BUT, we can speed up that process NOW by doing some calling to officials that CAN do something about it.

The good news is, if your Congressman's aides are as good as mine (she is actually INTERESTED in my Fiancee's state of despair) they will email, call, then DEMAND some answers. The woman heping us actually told me "Don't worry sweetie, we are going to get your Fiancee here asap, you just let me handle this for you". Now THAT will bring a smile to your lips

Alan & Sharon

Not Telling

Canada

2007-04-30 13:26:00

Well, I just got a typical reply from my email asking WHY the 4 more month delay in processing interviews. Wanna guess what they said?

"Hi, you are on the waiting list for an appointment date. It could take 4-6 months"

That's it. I tried reading between the lines, but for the life of me, I couldn't find an answer to my QUESTION, which was WHY??????

It's all good though, my congressional aide seems to have a real keen interest in this, and so do a lot of the Presidential Candidates (most of whom are still serving in Congress or the Senate). They got a little earful from me as well. I'm just glad we don't need stamps for emails, cause I would have just gone broke emailing everyone in the US about what a sucky job Montreal SEEMS to be doing. I couldn't SAY for SURE that is the case, because they have NEVER provided an EXPLANATION for these delays. So technically, they could be up to their ears in work, OR they could be hanging out at the coffee machine or checking out deals at Amazon.com for all we know. Hopefully, I'll have an actual answer for everyone shortly.

Alan & Sharon (Alan is the ANGRY one, Sharon just cries a lot).

Alan & Sharon

Not Telling

Canada

2007-04-24 15:28:00

Montreal received our packet 3 on Dec 11th. Sharon received notice of receipt for that date. I'm HOPEful based upon what some of you have posted reguarding interview dates that maybe whomever emailed us was nuts or in a really bad mood, but if they were, then they are gonna have to deal with us.

I've emailed Montreal back, asking for an actual explanation as to WHY they've added an additional 4 months to our originally anticipated interview date. There should be NO good reason for adding 4 more months based on the "First Come, First Served" process they use.

I've also contacted both of my Senators and my congressman now, so I'm hoping that Montreal will be forced to explain what in the hell they actually DO there to someone. (btw, one of my Senators sits on the committee that oversees the Department of State, so I'm hoping a well-placed call or email from her will loosen up Montreal's tight ### cheeks a little.)

I'm thinking that if everyone that has been told they will be waiting for 4 to 6 to 8 months more for an interview date did the same, maybe someone would begin to wonder what the folks in the Montreal Consulate are getting paid for.

Just glad I have THIS place to vent a little, otherwise I'd be looking for a short-term position with the postal service. :whistle:

Hope the interview dates keep pouring in..........

Alan

Alan & Sharon

Not Telling

Canada

2007-04-23 21:55:00

I don't believe this.

Just received this reply from Montreal after emailing them asking if we were going to be able to count on anything in MAY now. We've been waiting since early DECEMBER for an interview date. This is getting RIDICULOUS>>>>>

Hi, I checked & you will be waiting for an interview date for about four more months

This after we were told probably an APRIL date in Early February.

Alan & Sharon

Not Telling

Canada

2007-04-23 15:55:00

I have been more or less in constant contact via phone and email with the Consulate. Pretty much everyone's posts reflect the reality of the processing situation there. I was initially informed that our interview date would probably be scheduled for some time in April. After my last email, that may change to later. You can see from our timeline, that the package was sent to Sharon in December, so a May to possible June interview would be withing their 180 day processing time frame. It SUX for all of us, but the reality of it is that they are going to do it when they do it, and we just sit here worrying and wondering. Sharon checks her mailbox every day hoping, and I'm checking the emails once every 3 minutes or so, but it IS going to happen. On the BRIGHT side, it seems as though all of the interviews are resulting in APPROVALS, so hopefully the waiting is worth the end result. Keep the faith.

Alan & Sharon

Not Telling

Canada

2007-04-05 10:25:00

IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures

From my phone conversation with MTL, here's what they told us. (We were approved on 09/30/06, --usual transfer waits in between, contacted 12/03/06 with package, Sent back packet 3 on 12/11/06) Called on January 17th as had heard NOTHING back from them yet... Told that they are running heavily behind on processing, and that they were just now handling July through December processing. We could expect the appointment letter anywhere from 4 weeks to TWELVE weeks from my call date of January 17th. It is now over one month later, with still no word, so they must have been telling the truth

Alan & Sharon

Not Telling

Canada

2007-02-19 22:22:00

which info is correct n true ???

Hmmm email stated we would have to wait for a couple more months live operator stated our interview was in the following two weeks ... Get a live person

Alan & Sharon

Not Telling

Canada

2007-10-22 08:44:00

What a suprise

[

congradulations !!!!!!!

Alan & Sharon

Not Telling

Canada

2006-09-19 06:54:00

Oh my God, That hurt.

Congratulations!!!! :dance:

Alan & Sharon

Not Telling

Canada

2006-09-19 21:30:00

Yaaaaay!!! Approved!

Congratulations to you two! Sharon and I applied approximately the same time, but have yet to hear anything from the CSC. I'm hoping we too will be getting out NOA2 very soon! Can't wait to hear about the wedding now..lol

Alan & Sharon

Not Telling

Canada

2006-09-20 14:27:00

Really Happy for all the approvals!

Our anticipated date has droped considerabley as well. From a Mid-November date it's now listed as of October 31st. That's THIS MONTH, heh heh heh. Sharon and I have become addicted to this site for all of the information, posts, and now, the many approvals. We can't wait to be the next post with APPROVED on it, and like so many of you, I check my emails 20 times a day, visit the USCIS site every 30 minutes too. It's just nice to see that everyone goes through the same ups and downs, feels like us (on pins and needles) and delas with the dread and hope that this process causes. I've lived on a "one day at a time" mentality for over 3 months now, and just thank everyone that posts and keeps up their timelines for all of the support and commiseration. Congratulations to all those already approved, and fingers crossed for the rest of us. :whistle:

Alan & Sharon

Not Telling

Canada

2006-10-04 11:14:00

Freak!

Timelines on here are just a reflection of the input from members on their personal timelines. I know ours went from a November date down to Oct. 2nd, then back up again to Oct. 14th in the course of two weeks or so. I have gotten to the point where I just "oh well" when I see em. I spoke to a nice young fella at the Service center on the phone yesterday, and he just said "Keep an eye on the Service Center dates. They update them once every 2 weeks. Once your processing date is reached on there, wait 60 days after that if you haven't gotten a reply from us and call back. Woohoo

Alan & Sharon

Not Telling

Canada

2006-10-24 15:38:00

Call USCIS or not?

I called the Service Center to find out more about processing dates, timelines and such. According to the young man I spoke with, here is what to expect: The Dates posted on the USCIS website for Service Center processing times are updated once every two weeks. The last was on the 12th, so there should be an update tomorrow possible (the 26th). The Dates reflect the applications currently being procecessed for completion(approved or denied). All applications received on a particular date are boxed upon arrival after having a number issued to them, and the boxes are stacked in a holding area (warehouse). Workers are given a stack of applications to process, and as they finish their current stack, new ones are brought out and distributed. So one officer may be gung-ho and getting 50 done a week, and another may be doing 1 a week. It's a ####### shoot there. As soon as all the apps have been processed from one box, the next in line is brought out and randomly distributed. So one worker may still have applications from April on his desk, and another may be working on August. If your app requires an RFE, a reply to an inquiry, or other additional processing, it gets put in a hold bin awaiting the necessary info for completion. In the meantime, the next app is pulled and being worked on. So a LOT of things can cause an app to hang around on a desk or in the box. Mine was dated July 3rd, touched on July 6th, and has been dormant since. No RFE's nothing. No touches. So I just keep my fingers crossed that somewhere it's being looked at.

Alan & Sharon

Not Telling

Canada

2006-10-24 15:49:00