Call your Senator!!!

[brightskte 18]

I did, and it didn't really do much good.

Mathew had his interview a month ago today and was approved. HOWEVER, we only received his visa 2 days ago. The Montreal Consulate wouldn't respond to the emails we had sent, each time I called DOS I got a different story, and we didn't have the tracking number for our package. The guidelines on Montreals website say 5-7 business days between the interview and visa in hand so we waited until 14 business days had gone by. Unfortunately, the congressmans aide didn't know what to do and didn't really help us out at all. Montreal responded to her initial inquiry, saying that our visa was mailed on the 24th of March but when she contacted after that she never heard anything back.

But thanks to some members here giving us advice on how to contact the embassy by phone(even if the page says they don't take phone calls), and the very nice woman Mathew spoke with, he was able to pick up his visa the very next day after calling the Consulate.

As of yesterday the Congressmans Aide STILL hasn't heard back from Montreal.

[Nik+Heather 121]

We contacted our congressman when we received an RFE that was incorrect (It said our medical was expired when it wasn't).

I have to say that I agree that I really dislike it when people think that they should be contacting their congressman (or taking any other steps!) to try to speed up their cases faster than everyone else's. I mean, what makes THEM special? (Excepting military - I can completely understand for that reason - I'm talking about the every day joes like the rest of us) I also think it's a little rude sometimes, and have to "bite my tongue" so to speak. However, whenever a person's case goes off the beaten track, I think they should be proactive and contact their congressperson/senator.

Edited April 23, 2010 by Nik+Heather

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

I have spoken with congressional liasons on several occasions, both as a part of my personal immigration story and on behalf of immigrant organizations lobbying on the Hill. These conversations are always particularly enlightening because you gain insight into some truly cocked-up situations. You hear of cases with unbelievably long timelines and/or situations which really could be called civil rights violations so far as the USC is concerned.

Long story short, IMO congressional aid should only be sought in extreme circumstances. There are really and truly more horrible cases out there than most I've read on this community. Being 30 days outside of processing times really isn't a good reason to jack up your congressional representative.

Save the big guns for when you really need them. And hope that you don't.

[Rob and Jill 82]

Long story short, IMO congressional aid should only be sought in extreme circumstances. There are really and truly more horrible cases out there than most I've read on this community. Being 30 days outside of processing times really isn't a good reason to jack up your congressional representative.

Save the big guns for when you really need them. And hope that you don't.

Exactly what I think 99% of the time when I read someone who says "Call your Congressman"!!!

[Nickey 0]

I've been thinking about involving someone...what's your thought?

My fiance was approved for a visa. When he went back a month later to pick it up they questioned him about his police reports and where they were. He responded in the file. Then they told him the file was in Administrative Processing, they gave him back his passport and said they would call in two weeks. He asked why they were giving him back his passport and they said they don't hold passports. Yet they have had his passport for the past month. It has been two weeks and we have not heard anything. How long do you think we should wait? This isn't normal.