CONTACTING CONSULATE IN MONTREAL

[July09Bride 1]

Well... I don't know if this makes me feel better or not, but I'm trying to make it make me feel better. Here's what I have figured out...

Based on this page, this shows 136 days from receipt of paperwork from NVC to the K-1 interview at Montreal. <sigh> That means 19 weeks and 3 days. So, if this is an "average" from VJer's, that takes me from Feb 4ish to June 18. I guess reality is June at some point... even that I can handle. I wish VJ would track receipt of P3 to Interview Date. If there is a tracking of that somewhere, I'd LOVE to find it! I've looked at different people's timelines, and can guess from there. But, an actual tracking would be great.

That link also shows that Montreal is wayyyy backlogged compared to other popular Interview locations. I wonder why... I mean I can figure it out. We love our Canadian neighbors... but if that's the case, I wonder why they won't allow the Toronto Consulate to do interviews, too!

Oh, well. I'm preparing for my phone call and my email to both happen tomorrow. Wish me luck! I'll share what (if any) response I get from both the phone call and email.

Take care!!!

Edited March 8, 2009 by July09Bride

[July09Bride 1]

Well... there's good news and bad news from my phone call this morning.

Good news: The lady on the phone was quite nice.

Bad news: Although we sent back his P3 on 3/2, and know that it got delivered on 3/3 at 7:42AM... they still have not logged in his packet as being received. So, I'm nowhere near closer, in fact I feel like we're FURTHER AWAY than I originally thought we were.

<sigh>

Okay... now I'm officially bummed for the rest of the day. I'm going to start researching our options... just in case. I hate being blind-sided with problems.

I hope everyone else's day goes better than mine has started.

[SapphireDreams 71]

^^ Don't stress, it takes a couple of weeks to get logged into the system. That is factored into the whole 3-4 months wait time.

My advice you right now is just breathe, relax and realize that you are no better off calling or emailing them everyday.

It's bound to be scheduled... just give it some time.

The one piece of advice that I received not too long ago that has drastically changed my life was, "Don't worry about things you can't control" - Makes the days go by faster, I swear.

[Danu 19]

awww... *hugs for you!*

Part of the reason Montreal is so backlogged as well is that they do all the CR-1 type visa's for Canada so that puts a bit more on their plate. It sucks though that the wait time they say to expect is 4-6 months from when you send your P3 in. IMO they should hire more staff or spread things out to other consulates to help even the workload.

[July09Bride 1]

SapphireDreams and Danu,

Thank you both for the kind words. They do make me feel better. I just wish I had even a portion of the knowledge I have now back when we started all of this. Makes me wonder, IF, the interview is scheduled at a time when he might not be able to come over here in time for the wedding... should we scrap it all? I mean, get married as planned, then just go for the CR1???

I'm finding out now that it is actually cheaper (in the long run - but about equivalent to how much we will continue to spend going the K1 route)... get a green card at interview and not have to wait for AoS/EAD... and some other details my fried brain is forgetting at the moment.

We have spent SO much time apart. We truly want to be together, which the K1 allows... but the CR1 just seems so much easier now...

I don't know. I do know that I have to wait and be patient. Anyone ever tell a leaky faucet not to drip and have it listen? Yeah, that's me with patience. This kind of patience takes a saint - I'm not sure I'm there. I also know Duncan & I are in this together. It is what it is... only time will tell... everything happens for a reason... ok - enough with the cliche' thoughts.

Thank you all for being here... I'm glad there's someplace I can blurt everything out and the people actually understand the situation.

Have a great Monday!!! I'm going to try - honest.

[SapphireDreams 71]

^^ I honestly think that you'll be fine and get an interview in time. It might be a week before, but I think you'll have it.

If you don't, I really think you should just go on with the wedding and just not sign the paperwork - and just make it official once you get the visa. Duncan will just cross over for a visit and come back for the interview.

The only thing you would need to cancel is the officiant. If you're having a priest/minister do the wedding, I'm sure they will understand and be happy to 'fake' the signing of the documents. The vows are just vows without the certificate.

I honestly don't think you should worry though. I think you'll get it in time. I had the Xmas holidays mixed into my wait and I think that slowed me down by at least 3 weeks. You have no major holidays or anything between now and July.

Just stay positive, the only thing you can do is wait and time will tell what you need to do.

[JillA 2]

^^ I honestly think that you'll be fine and get an interview in time. It might be a week before, but I think you'll have it.

If you don't, I really think you should just go on with the wedding and just not sign the paperwork - and just make it official once you get the visa. Duncan will just cross over for a visit and come back for the interview.

The only thing you would need to cancel is the officiant. If you're having a priest/minister do the wedding, I'm sure they will understand and be happy to 'fake' the signing of the documents. The vows are just vows without the certificate.

I honestly don't think you should worry though. I think you'll get it in time. I had the Xmas holidays mixed into my wait and I think that slowed me down by at least 3 weeks. You have no major holidays or anything between now and July.

Just stay positive, the only thing you can do is wait and time will tell what you need to do.

I agree with Sapphire, to can the whole thing and start over with a CR1 seems like a waste of all your efforts thus far.... just remain positive! And the wedding is a good idea even if it's not legal... after all, many of us have had our wedding and we were already legal in a civil ceremony, so there's nothing wrong with doing it the other way around!

[July09Bride 1]

Okay... I've decided (at least for this moment, right here & now) that I'm NOT going to dwell on the negative. I'll dwell on the negative at some other point when I don't have anything else to dwell on.

I'll *TRY* to ignore what isn't happening at the Consulate and hope for fabulous news in the future.

Thank you again, to everyone with positive thoughts. They truly are appreciated.

Here are some **happy thoughts** to spread around to all of you!!!

Keep smiling,

Krista

[Hugglebuggles 60]

Honestly Krista, I think you're going to be alright as well. I'm pretty nervous myself! I've been studying timelines on VJ and even though the consulate says 4-6 months, most people lately have been getting interviews in 3-4. Pending a natural disaster of epic proportions I think things are going to be just fine!

Before scrapping the wedding plans look into what it would involve to just move it! Honestly, it may be a lot easier than you think. If you pick an off peak date (like something during the week, or even a Sunday) most places are willing to bend over backwards for you, because that's basically just extra income in their pockets. I'm getting married on a Thursday, not for this reason, but we realized after it was a good decision to make. I got the ceremony site of my dreams (that's otherwise booked up for the next 2 years), $350 discount on the DJ, and my florists is helping me coordinate things on the day of the wedding for nothing, just for using her services, and i'm getting a $150 discount on invites. Especially with these bad economic times, there are deals to be made! Just think of it this way, you're through the hardest part of the K-1 process! The interview is a breeze. It would be a waste just to scrap it now.

I e-mailed Montreal two weeks after I sent in the packet, and they had record of receiving it. So, it doesn't take long! Try again in a week or so.

[MapleLeafBaby 1]

After meeting some people at the medical a few weeks ago, it would appear that people who sent in their packet 3's in late Dec to mid Jan, were getting interview dates of March/April. So if they stay on track, it will likely be May, very early June at the latest.

And after the response from the email they sent me today, they seemed confident that our interview would be in May. That is keeping me hopeful

I am planning on moving early to mid June, so I hope for no hiccups

Even though my lease here at my condo is up June 1st, I am going to stay an extra month and pay for June, to be safe.

Problem is, I have to give 60 days notice to my landlord and i'm nervous to do so without a visa in my hand... but if I wait, I will be paying for two extra months that I won't be here and that's $4000, not like it's small money

I would like to give notice once I get my interview date, but that is being presumptuous I mean, I have good faith that all will go well in the interview, it's just a very nerve wrecking experience. The whole interview to me will make me super nervous, even though I shouldn't be?

They probably get nervous people all the time though

[Hugglebuggles 60]

Not to be nosy Poprocks, but what did they say in the e-mail that made you so optimistic? I just wonder because our dates are pretty close, so we should end up with interview dates around the same time. I'm hoping for a move mid- June as well

As for the interview, I hear its the easiest part of the process... for a Canadian anyways. I'm just worried about not having the right documents or something strange like that.