depressed

[mtlgato 2]

I'm getting really depressed about this whole process. For those of you who don't know me, my husband filed our 1-130 in Sept. of 2009 and I got pregnant in Jan. of 2010. I live in Vancouver, and so it's questionable whether I'll be able to make it to Montreal for an interview if they give me a date that comes too late in the pregnancy. I made an expedite request, and submitted a doctor's note...but I haven't heard anything back (in spite of requests for updates).

I can't believe I'm even in the situation of not knowing whether my husband and I will even be living together when the baby is born Should we have decided on Canada instead of the US? Is the Canadian process more humane?

There's nothing complicated about our case: no prior marriages, no criminal records, no immigration infractions. Nothing. I just don't think it's reasonable that it should take this long. And I don't feel like I've had very good luck either: My case was stuck in "final processing" at NVC for no good reason for over 3 weeks after we got SIF. We finally got case closed on May 12...but that was a month after we submitted all our documents...even though we didn't get any RFEs.

Anyway, thanks for listening...

C.

[Married2009 32]

I'm getting really depressed about this whole process. For those of you who don't know me, my husband filed our 1-130 in Sept. of 2009 and I got pregnant in Jan. of 2010. I live in Vancouver, and so it's questionable whether I'll be able to make it to Montreal for an interview if they give me a date that comes too late in the pregnancy. I made an expedite request, and submitted a doctor's note...but I haven't heard anything back (in spite of requests for updates).

I can't believe I'm even in the situation of not knowing whether my husband and I will even be living together when the baby is born Should we have decided on Canada instead of the US? Is the Canadian process more humane?

There's nothing complicated about our case: no prior marriages, no criminal records, no immigration infractions. Nothing. I just don't think it's reasonable that it should take this long. And I don't feel like I've had very good luck either: My case was stuck in "final processing" at NVC for no good reason for over 3 weeks after we got SIF. We finally got case closed on May 12...but that was a month after we submitted all our documents...even though we didn't get any RFEs.

Anyway, thanks for listening...

C.

No, you are not the only one. We all feel the same way. In your case, it is probably tougher since you are pregnant. Hang in there, it does end, it is just a long process. You should join the baby thread, if you haven't already.

[ValerieA 350]

Chin up, mtlgato. I hope you get your interview assigned soon - looks like you would get one for July, maybe, and that would be within time for your pregnancy/travel restrictions, right?

The Canadian process is more humane in that the spouse can come and live in Canada while awaiting a decision, but I think just the sheer numbers of people trying to immigrate to the US, and the incidents of fraud, have made this a way longer process than we can have patience for. And, of course, the backlog at Montreal that they seem unable to clear out.

Good luck.

[trailmix 77]

Hi,

Our process took 11 months from start to finish - but we got hung up at NVC for a couple of months - kind of a mess there but anyway. Even with no criminal history etc - that is just how long it takes, your timeline is not unusual at all.

As for the expedite, it will be unusual if you get one - BUT I would keep up with that, contact both Montreal and NVC. If you haven't already - you may want to call NVC and ask to speak to a supervisor (be firm but polite and eventually they will put you through to one) - confirm with him/her that they have received your expedite request and ask when you might hear something and if anyone is even looking at it.

Yes, the Canadian process is more humane for a few reasons. First of all you don't have to prove a certain amount of income, just that you can support the immigrant. Secondly - and most important imo - the immigrant can live with you in Canada while you are waiting. Thirdly, you send in one big bunch of documents, you don't get passed around, sending different evidence to different departments.

Oh and if you both live outside of Canada, they don't make you (stupidly) prove you are moving back to Canada. Oh anddd when the non-Canadian gets their PR card, they are still considered to be maintaining their PR status, even if they move out of the country - as long as they are living with the Canadian spouse.

Oh - and you don't have to fly to Montreal for an interview

[mtlgato 2]

Thanks for your nice note.

Yeah, a July interview would be fine...even August would probably be fine (though my doctor doesn't like the idea)...it's knowing that it's not even for sure that I'll get either of those months that's doing my head in.

I just don't think there's any good excuse for the Montreal "backlog." I've checked, and I can say that the number of Canadian immigrants doing consular processing is small relative to the number doing consular processing in other countries. It appears to me that the US consulates in India, to take just one example, have their act together fairly well (in that at least applicants get their interviews assigned promptly)--and the number of Indian immigrants doing consular processing FAR exceeds the number of Canadians doing the same. According to DoS stats, the number of Canadians doing consulr proc. last year was not much over 1000--total!

The US foreign service is very large, and if anyone gave a damn they could easily assign more people to work the Montreal consulate--which, btw, would not, I wouldn't think, be considered by most to be a bad posting by any means.

I'm not usually such a grump I'm just sayin...

Anyway, thanks to everyone who wrote in with supportive words! Good luck to all of you.

c.

quote name='ValerieA' date='25 May 2010 - 01:53 PM' timestamp='1274813624' post='3958700']

Chin up, mtlgato. I hope you get your interview assigned soon - looks like you would get one for July, maybe, and that would be within time for your pregnancy/travel restrictions, right?

The Canadian process is more humane in that the spouse can come and live in Canada while awaiting a decision, but I think just the sheer numbers of people trying to immigrate to the US, and the incidents of fraud, have made this a way longer process than we can have patience for. And, of course, the backlog at Montreal that they seem unable to clear out.

Good luck.

[Jadenjewel 9]

There are many of us blue about the wait. There are quite a few in the Sept. time frame still waiting.I feel for you though as your pregnant and that makes it more trying. Are you able to go visit him for awhile? At least its summer in Vancouver and the most beautiful time of the year! Maybe get out and take photo's so you will remember all the places and things you love here for a scrapbook for your wee one.

All the best for an interview date in July!!!

I-130 Sent : Sept 1 2009

I-130 NOA1 : Sept 15 2009

I-130 RFE : Feb. 2 2010 They lost a passport photo.

I-130 RFE Sent : Feb. 6 2010

I-130 Approved : Feb 19 2010

NOA approved in 157 long days!!!

Journey through NVC

NVC Received : Mar 2 2010

Received DS-3032 / I-864 Bill : Mar 13 2010

Return Completed DS-3032 : Mar 13 2010

Receive IV Bill : Mar 13 2010

Pay IV Bill : Mar 17 2010

Pay I-864 Bill Mar 13 2010

Receive I-864 Package : Mar 15 2010

Return Completed I-864 : April 28 2010

Return completed DS -230 and Supporting Documents: April 28 2010

Optin Electronic

April 22 2010

April 28 2010 accepted !!!!!asked for confirmation of wishing to process electronically:bonk: We would like you to confirm how you prefer us to process your case. All future correspondence regarding this case must be done electronically if you chose to do so.

April 28 2010

Dear Sir/Madam:

Please confirm our intent to apply and submit documents through this email.

Thank you.

Resent documents on May 5 2010 as per request.

May 21 Request for official divorce decree which they already have. I went to the Supreme court in Vancouver and asked for help. They said " yes you have the original," the US wants to see a red seal on it. So for $31 they stamped a red seal on it and initialed it and said that should work!

So this was sent in today MAY 21 2010

still waiting for SIF!

[mtlgato 2]

My husband is able to come here (to Vancouver); I can't go there (to the US). He is here right now, actually. So, yeah, things could be worse...but it still seems so pointless (the slowness of the process, I mean). And my husband can't be here all the time, so I have lots of doctor's appointments without him...soon I'll have to start prenatal classes without him

I see that your timeline is similar to mine. We didn't do electronic processing at NVC...though your timeline makes it seem like that was not an advantage to you at all!

C.

There are many of us blue about the wait. There are quite a few in the Sept. time frame still waiting.I feel for you though as your pregnant and that makes it more trying. Are you able to go visit him for awhile? At least its summer in Vancouver and the most beautiful time of the year! Maybe get out and take photo's so you will remember all the places and things you love here for a scrapbook for your wee one.

All the best for an interview date in July!!!

I-130 Sent : Sept 1 2009

I-130 NOA1 : Sept 15 2009

I-130 RFE : Feb. 2 2010 They lost a passport photo.

I-130 RFE Sent : Feb. 6 2010

I-130 Approved : Feb 19 2010

NOA approved in 157 long days!!!

Journey through NVC

NVC Received : Mar 2 2010

Received DS-3032 / I-864 Bill : Mar 13 2010

Return Completed DS-3032 : Mar 13 2010

Receive IV Bill : Mar 13 2010

Pay IV Bill : Mar 17 2010

Pay I-864 Bill Mar 13 2010

Receive I-864 Package : Mar 15 2010

Return Completed I-864 : April 28 2010

Return completed DS -230 and Supporting Documents: April 28 2010

Optin Electronic

April 22 2010

April 28 2010 accepted !!!!!asked for confirmation of wishing to process electronically:bonk: We would like you to confirm how you prefer us to process your case. All future correspondence regarding this case must be done electronically if you chose to do so.

April 28 2010

Dear Sir/Madam:

Please confirm our intent to apply and submit documents through this email.

Thank you.

Resent documents on May 5 2010 as per request.

May 21 Request for official divorce decree which they already have. I went to the Supreme court in Vancouver and asked for help. They said " yes you have the original," the US wants to see a red seal on it. So for $31 they stamped a red seal on it and initialed it and said that should work!

So this was sent in today MAY 21 2010

still waiting for SIF!

[lgg 2]

I just wanted to chime in and say chin up, lady! We were all here with you at one point. I remember writing this HUGE lament about not being with my husband and step daughter and bawling my eyes out at work while i was writing it. It was such torture but then, we got our interview and it all sped up and scared the ####### out of me once it was all rolling. You'll get there and it'll be worth it. I promise. It may not seem like it now and it sucks, I know but you'll get there. We have ALL complained about Montreal and it's lack of progress. Our process took about 10 months with no RFEs or anything. Perfect, clean files. We waited like 160 days or thereabouts for our interview and that was agony .

Good luck to you, it'll happen and we're here to listen while you wait.

best of luck...

LGG

[mtlgato 2]

Thank you! It's good to know that people understand.

I think that most of my friends and relatives can't even believe that the process really is the way it is. I think they think that either: a) we've misunderstood the whole thing, and really could have done things more easily; or, b) there's something fishy about our case (which there is NOT).

C.

I just wanted to chime in and say chin up, lady! We were all here with you at one point. I remember writing this HUGE lament about not being with my husband and step daughter and bawling my eyes out at work while i was writing it. It was such torture but then, we got our interview and it all sped up and scared the ####### out of me once it was all rolling. You'll get there and it'll be worth it. I promise. It may not seem like it now and it sucks, I know but you'll get there. We have ALL complained about Montreal and it's lack of progress. Our process took about 10 months with no RFEs or anything. Perfect, clean files. We waited like 160 days or thereabouts for our interview and that was agony .

Good luck to you, it'll happen and we're here to listen while you wait.

best of luck...

LGG

[antda 13]

Hi Mtlgato,

Sorry to hear about your situation....And I hope that you get and interview soon and that you and your husband will be together for your baby's birth....

If it makes you feel any better....I totally understand how you are feeling....

Likewise, I was pregnant during my wait for my 10yr green card....

And yes, it was really stressful and put my baby at risk to have to wait through the USCIS ####### while pregnant.....

And on top of that, we had to get expedites and get our congressman involved too.....

Needless to say, thank goodness things worked out well in the end, and the baby came faster than the green card (see my VJ timeline for more info).... Yes, it took them 10 months for a green card, and it took me 9 months for a baby..lol...

My point is....Enjoy the pregnancy and focus on that instead of dealing with the USCIS....

And in the end, things will work out....

Don't worry..Be happy....Focus on baby!

(and yes, feel free to join us in the "vous avez bebe" VJ message thread too...)

Hope this helps. Good luck on your journey and good luck with your pregnancy too....

Ant

P.S. I don't know if this will help...But is there some way that you can have your baby in the USA instead? That way your child can be a US Citizen right away...Which might be able to help your US immigration case too..Just a thought......

I'm getting really depressed about this whole process. For those of you who don't know me, my husband filed our 1-130 in Sept. of 2009 and I got pregnant in Jan. of 2010. I live in Vancouver, and so it's questionable whether I'll be able to make it to Montreal for an interview if they give me a date that comes too late in the pregnancy. I made an expedite request, and submitted a doctor's note...but I haven't heard anything back (in spite of requests for updates).

I can't believe I'm even in the situation of not knowing whether my husband and I will even be living together when the baby is born Should we have decided on Canada instead of the US? Is the Canadian process more humane?

There's nothing complicated about our case: no prior marriages, no criminal records, no immigration infractions. Nothing. I just don't think it's reasonable that it should take this long. And I don't feel like I've had very good luck either: My case was stuck in "final processing" at NVC for no good reason for over 3 weeks after we got SIF. We finally got case closed on May 12...but that was a month after we submitted all our documents...even though we didn't get any RFEs.

Anyway, thanks for listening...

C.

Edited May 26, 2010 by Ant+D+BabyA

[FireKari 4]

Most of our family and friends pretty much say the same thing: well you only married an American/Canadian, can't you just move there already?!

I say this is against my husbands constitutional rights under 'cruel and unusual punishment'!

Sorry, but keeping anyone away from their spouse is quite cruel!

[Hugglebuggles 60]

I can only imagine how difficult the separation must be with your pregnancy. I couldn't imagine being pregnant and separated from my husband. When there are children involved (or soon to be!) the issue of separation seems much harder. Not having support or understanding from friends and family members can't make the situation any better. I think we all got some of that when we were going through the immigration process- it's just so hard for people to understand why the process exists when Canada and the US are so closely linked.

Sorry you are going through this struggle mtlgato. Try to keep your chin up and be optimistic- it will all be over sooner than you may think

[smurfette1971 0]

I'm getting really depressed about this whole process. For those of you who don't know me, my husband filed our 1-130 in Sept. of 2009 and I got pregnant in Jan. of 2010. I live in Vancouver, and so it's questionable whether I'll be able to make it to Montreal for an interview if they give me a date that comes too late in the pregnancy. I made an expedite request, and submitted a doctor's note...but I haven't heard anything back (in spite of requests for updates).

I can't believe I'm even in the situation of not knowing whether my husband and I will even be living together when the baby is born Should we have decided on Canada instead of the US? Is the Canadian process more humane?

There's nothing complicated about our case: no prior marriages, no criminal records, no immigration infractions. Nothing. I just don't think it's reasonable that it should take this long. And I don't feel like I've had very good luck either: My case was stuck in "final processing" at NVC for no good reason for over 3 weeks after we got SIF. We finally got case closed on May 12...but that was a month after we submitted all our documents...even though we didn't get any RFEs.

Anyway, thanks for listening...

C.

Im right with you

i waited since feb 09 till apr 2010 for interview and was denied at interview since april when they received the document they asked for i am still waiting my husband is calling congressman tomorrow as it is 4 weeks tomorrow

we are not pleased and my kids are starting to get depressed as well

this is a horrible thing that us immigration does to families

wonder if president knows should be brought to his attention some how

he seems like a family type man

anyways just wanted to let you know

i feel the same pain every second of the day

Edited May 26, 2010 by smurfette1971

[mtlgato 2]

Yes! Those are the exact words of most of my friends and relatives: "Well, you're married, right?" Or, "It's only *Canada*--they're not worried about Canadian immigrants, are they?"

I think some people think maybe my husband and I are "on the rocks" (which we're NOT) and just making up a story about immigration keeping us apart! Bah!

It *is* surprising that it's extra hard (or at least extra long) to get a marriage visa. I know the process for J-1 (and probably other student visas?) is quite streamlined for Canadians. Plus, we have that NAFTA TN visa available to us, which I've heard there can be drawbacks to that one...but anyway, in some respects Canadians have it pretty easy with US immigration EXCEPT when it comes to family immigration.

And I agree with you: It does in some sort violate our spouse's rights!

C.

[SupportGeek 21]

wonder if president knows should be brought to his attention some how

he seems like a family type man

Seems the only Immigration concerns on his radar is with South of the border....