ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
CanadaVisiting fiance while waiting for interview
It appears this is one of the most oft-asked questions here and my wife and I are in the same boat. Her case was completed at the NVC on Sep. 24 but getting an interview appointment in Montreal is completely up in the air. My wife wants to come and visit until the end of Dec. and is deathly afraid of getting turned back at the POE because she would have to quit her job in order to stay that long. She doesn't need the job but there goes her proof of ties to Canada if she quits. She has a bank account in Canada and a ton of paperwork for her IR1 but that's about it.

Even though we'd have to be absolute idiots for her to have come this far (we started the process early Jan.) and then just stay illegally, there is always the chance that the border guard could refuse her entry. One time we drove across the guard was an absolute jerk and really ran us through the ringer. That was the exception not the rule but there's always that chance you'll get somebody with a chip on their shoulder. Flying down seems to be the only guarantee she'll get across without a hassle as a return ticket seems to be way up there on the list of things to prove she's coming back.

I called the POE directly and they advised against her coming down but they didn't say no, just that she might be turned back. I e-mailed the consulate in Montreal but don't expect to receive anything positive. It would be nice if she could come back with me as I'm driving up there for a visit this weekend but we don't expect to be able to come back together for an extended visit down here.
intuitionsysMaleCanada2009-10-19 21:57:00
CanadaCR1 DECEMBER 2009 MONTREAL INTERVIEWS
I don't know if this means anything or not but I e-mailed Montreal about two weeks ago now and no response whatsoever. Not even one of those short hurried "yeah we'll get to you sooner or later please wait four more months before bugging us again" type e-mails. Our case was completed Sep 24th so our getting a December date sounds unlikely. I've called the NVC twice and gotten the same answer both times. Just keep waiting. MAYBE you'll hear something in November.

I don't mean to sound pessimistic or get people down but this living in limbo is getting tiresome.
intuitionsysMaleCanada2009-11-02 20:02:00
CanadaStopped at the border - visiting before CR-1 complete
QUOTE (muchogrande @ Dec 29 2009, 08:33 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Wow. Ok, well I am really starting to think the customs officer actually doesnt even know the law. She told us that the embassy should have informed us that the law stated my wife was NOT allowed to come into the US while the visa was in process, PERIOD. Man, that is really upsetting to find out. I thought she was wrong, but had no evidence to back it up. I wish we'd flown from Edmonton, or anywhere else for that matter. YVR definitely has a reputation for problems with US immigration, and personally, that reputation has been set in concrete for me. I recommend anyone considering passing through there to avoid it.

There is definitely a difference between POEs. Alexandria Bay can be real "hardasses" with non-US citizens.
intuitionsysMaleCanada2009-12-29 14:06:00
CanadaStopped at the border - visiting before CR-1 complete
QUOTE (helvetica_bold @ Dec 29 2009, 02:30 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
From reading everyone else's story on here, it looks like we were very, very fortunate that I got into the country at all. I just got back from visiting my husband in the US for 6 months, and although I got pulled in for 2ndry screening, the agent wasn't a jerk about it at all. (I flew from Edmonton and went thru US customs there.) He was actually only intensely interested in whether we really had filed an I-130 or not, and confirmed it in the system by looking up the case# from the correspondence I brought along. I don't remember exactly the questions I was asked, as it was back in May, but they seemed fair, and I tried to answer them as accurately as I could. Seeing other people's story here, makes me wonder that my visit wasn't drastically shortened, let alone approved. blink.gif

I don't mean to make it sound like all border officers are jerks because they're not it's only that one in a hundred person that shouldn't be in any position of authority that we and others that I've read run into on occasion that can make crossing the border to visit an awful affair. I just came back from Ottawa and didn't get any hassle even with a bunch of gifts and stuff haphazardly thrown in the back of the car. Just the usual questions that you know the only reason they're asking is to see if you're BSing them about something. I got through in just a couple minutes and the last couple times that's been the case.
intuitionsysMaleCanada2009-12-29 03:40:00
CanadaStopped at the border - visiting before CR-1 complete
QUOTE (soonenough @ Dec 27 2009, 05:20 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Sorry to hear about this unfortunate situation... My wife and I have been married almost a year now and have had the our VISA in work for about 10 months and she had been thru the boarder literally thousands of times. We have also been asked the question Are we filing a visa? And of course the answer is yes, and they have never had a problem letting us thru. their major concerns were making sure she wasnt trying to move. and all we say is she is still paying rent on her apartment. No physical proof was required.

That's incredible. It's never ever that easy for us. The very first time we tried to cross at Alexandria (NY) we got absolutely crucified. We had a woman grilling us asking twenty five questions in succession putting words in our mouths making decisions for us and didn't care about the answers she just wanted to be an absolutely horrible person that day. It had nothing to do with doing her job. Some people are just control freak jerks and she just happens to be a border officer. It may sound like I'm venting but this person was downright cruel for no reason whatsoever. I'm sure she wrote up some sort of report when they turned us back from the border that day that's made it almost impossible ever since. My wife has come to visit a few times and hasn't been refused since, but the officer she got those other times was just doing their job and saw no need to show how morally bereft they could be tongue.gif It's just much easier for me to come up from the US until she gets her visa. The last time she crossed they gave us such a hard time and almost didn't let her through that we've decided not to try and that I'll just visit from the US. It's much easier for me to take a few days to come visit than it is for her anyway. From all the times I've crossed the border I've realized it's pretty much a ####### shoot. Usually you get somebody just doing their job, even if you get sent to secondary, and life goes on. Once in a while you get an absolute ####### on a power trip with something to prove and it's not worth putting my wife through that just for a two week visit, especially when we should (and that's a big SHOULD) be getting our interview date in January.
intuitionsysMaleCanada2009-12-27 13:27:00
CanadaStopped at the border - visiting before CR-1 complete
QUOTE (Wyatt's Torch @ Dec 15 2009, 01:13 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
It's true -- the best bet is that you guys just stick it out, having a brief visit or two while your wife keeps working.

I'm pretty sure her name will be flagged in the computer system at the border -- I'm pretty sure mine is, at least, based solely on immigration status -- which means they will likely ask more questions.

I had strongly considered a lengthy trip to visit my wife, but ultimately decided on a ten-day trip instead...and even THAT got me a rather intense grilling from a POE officer and a request to see my return flight itinerary.

When you're so close -- and I would also venture to guess that a January or February date is almost certain for you -- the risk for her crossing is too great. Not that it would have any effect on the immigration process...but the potential for disappointment, plus the lack of job for her to return to etc. could be severely dejecting.


Yeah we've just been discussing the possibility the last week or so, and it may be a bit foolhardy for her to quit her job and dash over for a one month visit but when all you get from Montreal is crickets even for e-mal queries, you begin to start planning crazier and crazier schemes smile.gif

I'm pretty sure we're both flagged. On trips back home I still get sent to secondary occasionally for seemingly no reason whatsoever. Twice I've been sent to secondary and sent on my way before I can even sit down in the lobby. I can't see whether they're rooting through the car or not and maybe that's why I get through so fast is that I just have a small suitcase and never buy anything in Canada so there's nothing to really root through smile.gif

The last time my wife came for a visit they grilled us for a good hour before letting us through even though at that time she did have all the proof of ties.
intuitionsysMaleCanada2009-12-15 20:21:00
CanadaStopped at the border - visiting before CR-1 complete
We're in somewhat of a predicament as well. There is a good chance (though no guarantee as we all know) we'll be getting an interview date in January for February. My wife would like to come back with me and visit for the month of January but she'd have to leave her job. There is no way her employer would give her a leave of absence for a whole month. What we'd like to do is buy a one-way ticket back to Ottawa as, at the very least intention, of returning to Canada. We're just worried they may have the same attitude as usual - like you give a hoot about your job if you're leaving in a few months anyway - that you don't have strong enough ties. I just hate to have to put my wife through the stress of being turned back. Trust me more than a few expletives have found their way into our private conversations about some of the IOs. Some are great and some are... well... ahem... you know. We just worry about connecting with the latter, as does everyone here I imagine.
intuitionsysMaleCanada2009-12-15 00:22:00
CanadaFun with calls to NVC Etc Today

Yes, between slow and really slow.

...and really really slow :P
intuitionsysMaleCanada2010-01-04 20:53:00
CanadaMontreal February Scheduling...
Congrats gap3!
intuitionsysMaleCanada2010-01-14 22:27:00
CanadaMontreal February Scheduling...
We received our interview letter today!!! We are scheduled for Feb 10. Strangely enough I got a reply regarding the interview being scheduled to an e-mail I sent a week before Christmas about an hour later. But hey who's complaining! Congrats to everyone else who got dates this month and our hopes and prayers continue for those still waiting that they will get a date scheduled soon!
intuitionsysMaleCanada2010-01-11 21:54:00
CanadaMontreal Interview Times?
It was three months for us at the end of December (IR-1). Hopefully with the supposed recent staffing it won't be four - or five. After the first couple months you begin to get a bit pessimistic :P Hopefully I'll have some good news to report this coming week but I'm not holding my breath yet.
intuitionsysMaleCanada2010-01-10 21:51:00
CanadaAprès un jour au Montréal, J'ai dit "God bless the U.S.A."
Actually I was just going through all our documentation sorting out what's relevant for the interview and all the medical receipts say "Plexo, Inc." on them, but the website we made the appointments through (got the phone numbers from) says "Seiden" at panelphysicians.com.
intuitionsysMaleCanada2010-01-25 21:22:00
CanadaAprès un jour au Montréal, J'ai dit "God bless the U.S.A."

This is going to sound silly but did you go to Seiden or Mediysis? (cantspellyay)


We went to Seiden. That's what the big logo on the receipt says :)
intuitionsysMaleCanada2010-01-25 20:22:00
CanadaAprès un jour au Montréal, J'ai dit "God bless the U.S.A."
I just thought I'd post real quick our experiences with the Medical we had done in Montréal for our interview coming in February. Nothing real eventful, everything went smooth, although arriving in Montréal right at rush hour wasn't fun. The 40 is a parking lot from about 8 until 10 (at least). We planned an extra hour early just in case and I'm glad we did. Our appointment was for 10:30 and we got there at 10:15 after getting parked and everything. We went to Montréal as it's closer to Ottawa than Toronto. The Plexo office is in the Rosemont hospital on the first floor (actually the second floor labelled the first) in room 115. They were unusually busy that day as they mostly do work related medicals. We were the only visa-related appointment that day. There is a parking lot (albeit crowded) next to the hospital if you're driving there as we were. We were there in total about two hours.

They were very professional and asked for all the documentation they said they'd be asking for when I talked to them on the phone to make the appointment. The receptionist we talked to spoke decent enough English although my wife is fluently bilingual and I'm what you might call "lingual and a half" :) so either way we were okay. After a short wait we presented the interview letter and all my wife's immunization records. She didn't have a record of mumps/measles/rubella immunization so rather than deal with the hassle of proving it afterwards we just had it done there for an extra $55. The medical is $260 so all tolled it cost us $315 plus the 13 bucks for parking and gas to get there and back. Making the appointment was the most difficult part as you get routed to voicemail to make the appointment and then they call you back some hours later. The lady who initially answers the phone doesn't speak the greatest English but it's passable so just be prepared for that.

After presenting all the documents there was another short wait, then a quick visit with the doctor and the usual blood pressure tests and the like, then another longer wait, and all the poking in the lab for taking blood, immunization shots, and chest x-rays. They do everything in the lab there including the chest x-ray. I waited patiently out in the hallway for about half an hour to 45 minutes for it to all be done. There is a small coffee and doughnut shop on the ground floor but don't expect anything beyond day old muffins :) The coffee was decent though.

The receptionist advised us that the pictures we provided would probably be rejected by the Consulate since the background was too dark (actually light gray and to anybody else they would be just fine but if it's too dark it's too dark and I guess they would know) so we ran down to the Jean Coutu about a 5 minute drive away (thank you Garmin) to get "proper" photos taken and paying an outrageous 18 bucks plus tax for four photos. The Plexo people needed three and I was able to keep one for duplicating myself ten times over for less than a tenth of that. We ran back to the hospital to drop off the photos and were then on our way back to Ottawa, sans the freeway parking lot we encountered in the morning.

The Rosemont Hospital front area is currently under construction and sidewalks are a luxury there right now, and there is scaffolding everywhere. If you enter through the front building with the bluish glass front, the office is one floor up and a very short walk from the elevator. I had to wait in the hallway as the waiting area was small and crowded and it was getting stuffy, and I don't mind standing anyway.

We got there at 10:15 and left Montréal around 1:00 or so, so all in all a pretty painless ordeal (for me not my wife she was the one who had to get poked with all the needles :) )
intuitionsysMaleCanada2010-01-20 22:45:00
CanadaAn Open Thank You to Montreal's Consulate
Ditto :)
Well said, Wyatt.
intuitionsysMaleCanada2010-01-25 21:36:00
CanadaWhy Do Canadian Fast Food Restaraunts Serve Fries With EVERYTHING!
I used to live in Sask. I miss Taco Time and those huge burrito supremes and their salsa and "mexifries" (deep fried tater tots). I always pig out a couple times there when I visit family out there :)
intuitionsysMaleCanada2010-02-24 21:06:00
CanadaWaiting NINE WEEKS now (DCF Montreal, requested further proof domicile)

Yea exactly! I also asked what happens if they dont respond within two weeks. No answer to that question.

That sounds like an answer in itself.
intuitionsysMaleCanada2010-02-25 23:32:00
CanadaWaiting NINE WEEKS now (DCF Montreal, requested further proof domicile)

The Senator's office usually calls me back within a few hours if I dont get a hold of him when I call. The main delay is how long it takes for them to get an answer from Montreal. They told us last time that Montreal is required to respond to Senatorial requests within 2 weeks but last time it took 5-6 weeks and two seperate requests. So much for a requirment eh?

Is that a legal requirement or a suggestion?
intuitionsysMaleCanada2010-02-25 19:50:00
CanadaWaiting NINE WEEKS now (DCF Montreal, requested further proof domicile)

Hi Everyone,
My husband and I were asked for additional documents on December 9th, 2009. We sent them in and was received by Montreal on Feb 9th. I've sent multiple emails since then, but no response. I contacted my Senator's office today and sent the the release form. I'll keep you guys updated!


Let us know what happens!
intuitionsysMaleCanada2010-02-24 19:34:00
CanadaWaiting NINE WEEKS now (DCF Montreal, requested further proof domicile)
Well the documents we sent to the Montreal Consulate arrived today according to Canada Post. So now we wait. And wait. Again. If they do end up holding onto my wife's Canadian passport ad infinitum we may have no choice but to contact her MP but it's way too early to worry about that yet.
intuitionsysMaleCanada2010-02-23 21:33:00
CanadaWaiting NINE WEEKS now (DCF Montreal, requested further proof domicile)
Wow I really feel for everybody that has ended up waiting yet again for months just to get one or two documents reviewed. I'm a bit depressed though as well knowing that it could still be yet another couple months before my wife gets her visa, if ever. My wife gave notice before the interview as we assumed the interview was more or less a formality for us. Now she's going to need to look into getting another job while she CONTINUES to wait. Finding a place for her to live for a couple extra months is going to be trying too. This just sucks. I hope things work out soon for everybody who's been waiting much longer than we have.
intuitionsysMaleCanada2010-02-22 22:24:00
CanadaWe got the IR-1 visa!!
Congratulations!
intuitionsysMaleCanada2010-02-28 22:30:00
CanadaEmails to Montreal Consulate don't appear to work either.

Holy #######, I could be waiting that long? :blink:
What will the expiry of the visa be? I mean, if they date it from the day I got the email of my case being approved, but then they don't issue it for months, is the 6 month expiry still the same?

This is ridiculous.


Yes it is. It seems everybody in AP is waiting an absurd amount of time. Our documents were just indicated as received (according to the tracking number not anything from the Consulate obviously) earlier this week. Sounds like we have a few months not weeks yet to wait. You know if I had known Montreal was so slow when we started this whole process I would have just stayed in Canada, kept the job I wasn't crazy about, and just waited it out there. This waiting is just nuts.

My wife and I are nearing the point of just forgetting it all and settling down back in Canada. I really hate this #######. Living in limbo for months and months and months on end severely wears on a person. The guys at work can't believe we've waited as long as we have. Anybody who has not immigrated from Canada to the U.S. has no clue how long and trying it is. I've yet to meet anyone who even knew this nonsense was going on for countless Canadians.

Maybe I should have posted in one of the venting threads :crying:
intuitionsysMaleCanada2010-02-25 21:43:00
CanadaEmails to Montreal Consulate don't appear to work either.
I know how you feel. We were required to send a couple extra documents after our interview that we finally got together and sent out on Friday along with my wife's passport. According to the tracking number it has arrived at the post office box address they gave us to send everything to, so now we just play the waiting game and hope it doesn't actually take another four or five weeks or sit in a pile somewhere for weeks on end.

I also sent an e-mail to the Montreal Consulate on the 11th with a question about the requirements and have yet to receive a response.
intuitionsysMaleCanada2010-02-22 21:42:00
CanadaApproval times in Montreal after the interview
We went to the SSA office last week and big surprise my wife wasn't "in the system". We were told it could be another four weeks as they had to mail something to USCIS to confirm her information. She hasn't received her greencard or welcome letter or any notice whatsoever yet and it's been about six weeks now. I'll be calling USCIS sometime this week to find out what is taking so long. She should have at least received her welcome letter by now.
intuitionsysMaleCanada2010-05-11 19:33:00
CanadaApproval times in Montreal after the interview

Hi Everyone,
So I see there is a range of how long it takes to get your visa approved after sending in the additional documents. We sent in ours March 30th (proof of domicile), and I just received a letter from US DOS dated April 21st that they received the documents and my husband's application is currently pending and a decision will not be made until the Consulate finishes reviewing. I know Intuitionsys received this letter and 4 days later had their visa. Intuitionsys, did you call DOS in those 4 days and if so, what did they say the status was of your case? We already got our Senator involved back in mid-Feb after we sent in our first of of documents and Montreal had requested even more information.I also called them last week to inquire again. Thanks for your help.


We got a letter from DOS about a week (or was it two?) after my wife received her visa, basically stating that the documents had indeed been received and that they were currently being reviewed. Obviously a huge lag. We never did receive the "approval" letter or e-mail but we didn't have any difficulties when we crossed the border. One issue we still have though is she is still waiting for both her SSN and Green Card. It's been about five weeks since we crossed. We're going to go to our local SSA office next week and make sure everything is at least in process, unless of course they show up before then.
intuitionsysMaleCanada2010-04-29 23:34:00
CanadaApproval times in Montreal after the interview
Thanks. I actually got an e-mail today. It was forwarded to the DOS "public inquiries division". At least the DOS took the time to respond with a reasonably personal letter with the details about our case that we asked for, not just a canned response. I'll give them that. I dunno if the DOS fields all these types of e-mails or only ones regarding cases in AP. The letter is dated the 18th about four days before they approved the visa and sent it out, but I just got it this afternoon. They must be using Commodore-64s for e-mail servers :)
intuitionsysMaleCanada2010-03-25 22:13:00
CanadaApproval times in Montreal after the interview
We never did get an e-mail notification. It arrived XPressPost today. Apparently it was mailed out yesterday. I don't really care much now if we ever get an e-mail now but I think I've read here before that other people have gotten an e-mail several days after receiving theirs. It would have been nice though to get a status update instead of living in limbo for a month.

This is a bit of a rabbit trail but I also heard today we may be able to adopt a pair of twin girls this summer. Talk about your life changing all at once!
intuitionsysMaleCanada2010-03-24 22:17:00
CanadaApproval times in Montreal after the interview
My wife recieved her visa today!!! Woohoo!!! :dance:

I guess I won't be pestering my congressman. Funny thing is I was about to use his online form last night and I figured no I'll wait one more day. Divine intervention I guess :)

It would be interesting to know if any others who have been waiting about the same amount of time as us get their visas soon. We'll be hoping and praying for everyone still waiting. I dunno if I'll get any sleep tonight...
intuitionsysMaleCanada2010-03-24 18:41:00
CanadaApproval times in Montreal after the interview
Well we hit the four week mark today. I'm seriously considering contacting my local congressman within the next few days. Montreal has not responded to the last two e-mails I've sent. They still have my wife's passport and we still don't know if they even picked up our package, we can only assume they have. While about a month isn't a long time, one always must consider the four and a half months previous, waiting for a 5-minute interview, with the consulate of our largest and closest neighbor.
intuitionsysMaleCanada2010-03-23 21:08:00
CanadaApproval times in Montreal after the interview

I'm just over a month now, with no answer after sending in additional proof of domicile. Not sure that it will help any, but i'm planning on sending an email this afternoon inquiring about my case, and its status.

I am not too confident that i'll even get a reply, since I sent an email at the beginning of February about a related matter, and about 5 1/2 weeks later, I haven't got a reply!

We're nearing the month mark since our additional docs arrived in late Feb. I sent an e-mail two weeks ago today just asking at least for confirmation that they received my docs and no big surprise haven't gotten a reply yet (other than the instant auto-response :) ). I sent an e-mail about 6 weeks ago and never got a response for that either. Their attitude towards customer service reminds me of Bell Canada :)
intuitionsysMaleCanada2010-03-18 19:02:00
CanadaApproval times in Montreal after the interview

Wow...just reading what others have gone through with Montreal makes me really stressed about what kind of result Joey and I will have later this year. What does or doesn't constitute enough information or proof?

My recommendation is to go through everything you have, even if it has been previously approved/completed/whatever by the USCIS or NVC and ensure it is perfect and conforms exactly to all instructions. For people who are having rediculous requirements for proof of domicile I'm not sure why they're being so picky. I just recently moved back to the U.S. from Canada and they didn't even ask to see any proof of domicile documents at all. For us it was something else. I'm sure they have their reasons but what they are is a mystery to me.
intuitionsysMaleCanada2010-03-14 21:24:00
CanadaApproval times in Montreal after the interview
Well if I were a consular officer and had my choice, Montreal would definitely not be my first pick, especially if I perused VJ once in a while :) And who wants to move to Montreal if they don't speak a word of French and know they will be deluged every day at work, and probably as Flames mentioned the "hardship" allowance wouldn't be all that great? I wouldn't want to that's for sure.

It could be a) it is very poorly managed, b) very poorly funded, c) very poorly staffed, or d) some or all of the above. Just judging from a distance it just seems very odd that the United States' closest neighbor doesn't also have one of the better/faster/friendlier consulates. That was something we kind of naively assumed when we started this mess. Who would have guessed without investigating it's the complete opposite of all three. The NVC is hard to get through to and you have to push to get answers sometimes but at least you CAN get answers, and not always a canned 5-line e-mail. You can actually talk to a real person. Most of them are actually very nice too. They may be the nicest people in the world at the Montreal Consulate as well but you sure don't get that impression from what comes off from the average joe's perspective as arrogance. That may or may not be the case but that's how they come across given it's almost impossible to communicate with them and when you can the answer is either too late to have done any good or a canned response you could have just as easily read on the USCIS website.

I understand the the U.S. only wants one immigrant visa consulate per country and that's fine but one thing that's always kind of bugged me is why they don't have it in central Canada or at least Ottawa or Toronto? I know the Ottawa embassy is huge as I've been there a couple times. Just my 2c.
intuitionsysMaleCanada2010-03-13 23:33:00
CanadaApproval times in Montreal after the interview

I am in the same boat. I had my interview at the beginning of January, and sent in additional documents and passport a month ago. I did email them a question as well at the beginning of February, and am yet to hear back.

How long have you been waiting?

I feel like contacting a congressman won't help much. May just prolong things by annoying them, is my thought. I think just waiting it out is the best option...will let you know how I do. I'm hoping everyday with fingers crossed to get some type of response, hopefully a positive one!

Our interview was in early Feb and we got the docs they required sent and showing as successfully delivered by CanadaPost on Feb 23. Our wait hasn't been as severe as a lot of others here (yet) but what drives a person crazy is the complete lack of communication, not knowing if it will be four weeks or four months.

Brock, it's good to hear you had favorable results from contacting your Congressman. We were told four weeks, so if we have no e-mails or anything by then, I think I will go that route soon afterwards, if for no other reason than the peace of mind of knowing what the heck is going on. If the current backlog is eight weeks that's what they should have told us, not the canned response stated on the form, especially knowing full well that we may not ever hear from them if they decide our e-mail doesn't merit a response.

Trailmix, your comment is eerily similar to the discussion I had with my wife videoconferencing last night. She's worried about annoying them and delaying things further too. Knowing the backlog is 8 weeks puts me a bit at ease knowing at least there is at least a dim light at the end of this long dark tunnel :) but the fact remains they work for us and we were told to contact them if we do not receive any communication within four weeks. Well, after four weeks, we will honestly try, and expect to get no response, just like the last two e-mails, so I think contacting our Congressman is more than warranted when the time comes.
intuitionsysMaleCanada2010-03-12 19:13:00
CanadaApproval times in Montreal after the interview

My two cents worth would go on the side of contacting your congressman. We have been "dealing" with Montreal over additional proof of domicile documents since last June. Now we've not had good success by any means on anything but the times we have got some response and information is when we've got the senator's office to call the consulate.

Since last June!?! That's crazy! Have they given you any indication what is taking so long?

That's what worries me. Are they just going to go on doing nothing until we force the issue by contacting our Congressman or a Senator.
intuitionsysMaleCanada2010-03-11 22:35:00
CanadaApproval times in Montreal after the interview
I was curious if anyone was either in our situation or has already gotten through it. Two documents at our interview were deemed unacceptable at our interview so we had to gather acceptable ones and mail them to the consulate which we have already done, and according to the tracking number, they have arrived and were "successfully delivered" whatever that means. Montreal has yet to contact us to let us know they have actually received the documents let alone whether or not they are reviewing them. They haven't responded to any e-mails that is also no big surprise but also extremely frustrating.

Does anyone know on average how long they take to review documents that are sent in after the interview? They told us it might take an extra four weeks but never specified an extra four weeks from what exactly. Should we consider contacting our Congressman once we reach the four week point?

Without any communication whatsoever this living in limbo leaves us wondering if there is any other choice. Some people say no, you'll just annoy them further and give them more cause to give you grief, while others seem to have had some success going this route when all else fails. We're not to that point yet but it would be nice to hear from anyone who might have had some results, negative or positive, involving their Congressman or Senator. My Congressman actually has an office in the building I work in so it's a tempting option assuming it's not also a futile one.
intuitionsysMaleCanada2010-03-11 21:46:00
CanadaIR1 / CR1 - Montreal Timeline to Interview
Well a little over a month and a half after the interview, my wife finally received her visa in the mail today! YES!!! :dance: :dance: :dance:

I'll probably be heading up to Ottawa this weekend barring any scheduling issues. FINALLY! YES! No I'm not relieved I just like using all caps a lot :)
intuitionsysMaleCanada2010-03-24 18:52:00
CanadaIR1 / CR1 - Montreal Timeline to Interview

Can someone explain to me why, if you DCF in the UK, you can bring in virtually no proof of reestablishing domicile and it's all good?

http://www.visajourn...p;#entry3727866

Are the COs afraid that the U.S. spouses will be sneaking back in to Canada under cloak of darkness?

That is the question I would like to ask in an 'Open letter' to the COs in Montreal.


I got the impression Montreal is so rushed that if everything isn't just so it's easier just to have absolutely every requirement exactly as they want it so they can get as much done in one day as possible. At our interview the guy was in an unbelievable hurry.
intuitionsysMaleCanada2010-02-21 13:14:00
CanadaIR1 / CR1 - Montreal Timeline to Interview

Sorry to hear about your troubles. I hope you don't mind me asking a question. My husband was also born in Quebec and his birth certificate is also 100% in French. Did they say what the problem was? I had his birth cert translated by someone who went to University for translation and she signed the translation. I'm hoping this will not be a problem. We also have the small card sized birth certificate that is in French and English.

Hope everything works out for you soon.


Part of our problem was we had the bad fortune to be coupled with an impatient so-and-so. He was simply adamant that anything not in English be translated by a "certified" translator, not just someone really really fluently bilingual. My wife just got the "certified" translation in the mail today. She said it was pretty fancy but I haven't seen it yet. Some sort of really official looking seal on it. If you have time I would have it done by a certified translator. We didn't have anything in English even her old hospital certificate from Ottawa was in French, so your card might be enough. I'm no expert in what's passable and what's not but I wouldn't take the chance. It cost us 135 smackers to have two pages translated.
intuitionsysMaleCanada2010-02-18 21:32:00
CanadaIR1 / CR1 - Montreal Timeline to Interview
I've been away for a while and noticed several posts about the Montreal Consulate keeping people's originals. Of course at the border they would tell you the Consulate would never do that - it MUST be your fault somehow :)

We had our interview Feb 10th and were approved conditionally so our wait is going to be extended another two or three weeks at least. My wife's birth certificate was from Quebec and entirely in French. The documents that we just translated ourselves were approved by the USCIS and NVC ages ago so once again we find every agency just follows their own rules. The other issue was, again, even though it was explained that I never lived in the U.S. until 2009 and never even had an SSN until summer of 2008, and didn't earn one dime in the U.S. in 2008 he still wanted to see a tax filing even if it was all zeroes, again even though this was all explained in the documents sent to the NVC and already accepted and proves nothing towards whether I can support my wife or not. And even then if they want to be picky fine I'll supply the documents (we are, what choice do we have) what really irks me is that instead of patiently explaining exactly what was necessary and what needed to be done the guy just rushed us out of the booth and even though we were insistent about confirming some questions he just opened his door and made like the apocalypse was about to begin so we wouldn't bother him anymore and didn't even give us a chance to explain anything. He just took off.

The other people at the Consulate were nice but that one guy ruined our day. So we have to mail in the remaining documents and then as long as some other bureaucratic i doesn't need to be dotted or t crossed she should finally be getting her visa. Hopefully some of the originals we left with them will be returned to us so we don't have one more problem to worry about.
intuitionsysMaleCanada2010-02-17 21:06:00