Waiting for our passports from Montreal

[New User 1000 4]

Hi all,

My status has been "ready" after "administrative processing" since June 4th. The date was last updated June 8th and I saw that I could send an email to see what is going on with my case. I put the request in today to check and I got following response:

Good afternoon,

Thank you for your email!

Please note that on June 4th, 2015 we received your documents and they have been forwarded for review. As soon as we have an update on your file we will gladly notify you.

Best regards,

I don't understand why it said it's in review. Loomies delivery was on June 1st and the status was changed to ready on June 4th. I thought ready meant they were done with the AP process. Also the date is now updated to June 10th.

[Trenz 52]

I will repeat it again and again: those of you who about to go to Montreal for your interview, ASK QUESTIONS. Come back more enlightened about what may be ahead for you than folks like us who believed the officer when she said, "we will be issuing your visa," and told us to watch for a loomis number in 7-10 days.

ASK ASK ASK. You have nothing to lose by politely inquiring about what may happen next.

Thank me later.

People should heed this advice!

I am not sure if you saw this above or not YVRDualCouple, but I had just asked a small question about you contacting your representative:

"Just out of idle curiosity, as I just contacted my (soon-to-be) representative, how long did it take from the point of sending in your privacy release and letter explaining the situation to getting your reply that they sent a request in to the appropriate consular office?"

[Trenz 52]

Hi all,

My status has been "ready" after "administrative processing" since June 4th. The date was last updated June 8th and I saw that I could send an email to see what is going on with my case. I put the request in today to check and I got following response:

Good afternoon,

Thank you for your email!

Please note that on June 4th, 2015 we received your documents and they have been forwarded for review. As soon as we have an update on your file we will gladly notify you.

Best regards,

I don't understand why it said it's in review. Loomies delivery was on June 1st and the status was changed to ready on June 4th. I thought ready meant they were done with the AP process. Also the date is now updated to June 10th.

Just so I understand the time line better, when was your initial interview in Montreal? I am going to assume while at the interview they made a request for you to send further documentation?

While this hasn't happened to me I would assume that you went from "Ready" to "Administrative Processing" back to "Ready" as the process generally restarts (in a manner of speaking) once all the documentation has been received. "Ready" tends to be the first stage of three for the visa processing. In my case, I was stuck on "Ready" from May 14-June 2. The AP stage generally comes after "Ready", hence why I believe you returned to "Ready" once all the documents were received. I believe from this point forward additional AP is required now that they have your documentation.

[YVRDualCouple 5]

People should heed this advice!

I am not sure if you saw this above or not YVRDualCouple, but I had just asked a small question about you contacting your representative:

"Just out of idle curiosity, as I just contacted my (soon-to-be) representative, how long did it take from the point of sending in your privacy release and letter explaining the situation to getting your reply that they sent a request in to the appropriate consular office?"

Hi Trenz--

Sorry, your request slipped past me. After receipt of our privacy release and explanation letter, our congresswoman's office sent me a confirmation within about 24-48 hours (I'm a little hazy, but it was quick), stating that they had submitted a request to the appropriate department (I assume that is the US Department of State).

Hope that helps.

Edited June 11, 2015 by YVRDualCouple

[New User 1000 4]

Hi Trenz,

My interview was on May 27. I did get a 221(g) to submit a signed copy of I-864 from my in-law as my husband is living with me in Canada. I did submit it via loomis and loomis said it was delivered on June 1st. The consulate from the response states that they received it on June 4th which is the same date the status from went from AP to ready. I had thought ready meant they were OK with it and were in the process of issuing a visa. How long did it take you to get your visa? I am guessing also you weren't under AP.

Thanks,

Bhavna

[Trenz 52]

Hi Trenz--

Sorry, your request slipped past me. After receipt of our privacy release and explanation letter, our congresswoman's office sent me a confirmation within about 24-48 hours (I'm a little hazy, but it was quick), stating that they had submitted a request to the appropriate department (I assume that is the US Department of State).

Hope that helps.

Much thanks! I have hit the 48 hour mark as of right now and have only received confirmation they have received our release and letter; nothing in regards to actually contacting any offices yet. I can only hope that they are doing so behind the scenes. Hope your congresswoman can lend a hand in getting your visa finally issued!

Edited June 11, 2015 by Trenz

[Trenz 52]

Hi Trenz,

My interview was on May 27. I did get a 221(g) to submit a signed copy of I-864 from my in-law as my husband is living with me in Canada. I did submit it via loomis and loomis said it was delivered on June 1st. The consulate from the response states that they received it on June 4th which is the same date the status from went from AP to ready. I had thought ready meant they were OK with it and were in the process of issuing a visa. How long did it take you to get your visa? I am guessing also you weren't under AP.

Thanks,

Bhavna

Hey there,

My guess as to your situation is: June 1st the documents arrived at the consulate but it was not until June 4th they physically opened the package and resumed the application, hence the switch from AP back to Ready. To the best of my knowledge, Ready only implies that your application is "ready" to be processed and not ready to be issued; "Issued" is the final of the 3 steps where you will finally have your visa issued to you. The AP stage (I am guessing) implies they are rounding up all your documents, going over them and abstracting the information/entering the data into their system.

My interview was May 14th and I have been in AP since June 3rd. From everything I understand AP was supposed to be a short wait for K1 couples, however, that is not the case with me thus far. If you read further back in this thread, others have been waiting even longer than myself in that stage, alas.

I hate to say it, but visas out of Montreal are nothing more than an elaborate craps shoot as to whether or not yours will be slow or fast.

[New User 1000 4]

Hi Trenz, I am so sorry you are waiting for soooo long. That is ridiculous. Does your status still says AP? Have you contacted the consulate?

[Trenz 52]

Hi Trenz, I am so sorry you are waiting for soooo long. That is ridiculous. Does your status still says AP? Have you contacted the consulate?

Hey there,

No apologies necessary! It should be those at the Montreal consulate handling my application that should be offering an apology really.

My status as of today still is in AP and has been since June 3rd. I contact the consulate today to let them know I am now at the 4 week mark since my interview, but once again received the computer generated email of "we will let you know if anything changes". That was the 2nd such email I have sent, the other being at the 2 week mark.

My petitioner in the US has contacted their congressman, so we shall have to wait and see if that does any good in regards to speeding this up.

This wait is beyond asinine as people who had their interview weeks after mine have already received their visas.

[YVRDualCouple 5]

Today we hit 8 WEEKS since our clean MTL interview where we were told the visa was approved; expect Loomis in 7-10 days.

Our status has never changed from "ready," and the last time our file was touched was May 15.

We emailed once, got the standard no-info response. We see no point in pestering with emails until (God forbid) the actual 60-day mark, now four days hence. We are hopeful the the request from our member of congress will jiggle our file loose. I suspect our file is in a stack or electronic queue somewhere collecting dust.

I repeat: if you are headed to Montreal for an interview, ASK THEM QUESTIONS ABOUT POTENTIAL DELAYS AND REMEDIES. I wish we'd had that advice.

[Trenz 52]

Today we hit 8 WEEKS since our clean MTL interview where we were told the visa was approved; expect Loomis in 7-10 days.

Our status has never changed from "ready," and the last time our file was touched was May 15.

We emailed once, got the standard no-info response. We see no point in pestering with emails until (God forbid) the actual 60-day mark, now four days hence. We are hopeful the the request from our member of congress will jiggle our file loose. I suspect our file is in a stack or electronic queue somewhere collecting dust.

I repeat: if you are headed to Montreal for an interview, ASK THEM QUESTIONS ABOUT POTENTIAL DELAYS AND REMEDIES. I wish we'd had that advice.

I think you and I should engage in something here. While your wait has been double that of mine, you and I both have been waiting for significantly longer periods of time than literally everyone else who had an interview at the same time.

While I am sure you and I both have racked our brains trying to figure out just what the X factor was in creating this unenviable situation we are in, perhaps if we compare notes via PM to see if we can find any similarities or that one minute little detail that set this off, perhaps we can finally find the causal link? Perhaps we will come up empty handed again, perhaps not. I just could live in peace a little bit more so knowing what the tipping point actually was, if there even was one.

At this juncture, what do we have to lose really? Perhaps we might even be able to find something that might help others in the future?

[Mshp 0]

I think you and I should engage in something here. While your wait has been double that of mine, you and I both have been waiting for significantly longer periods of time than literally everyone else who had an interview at the same time.

While I am sure you and I both have racked our brains trying to figure out just what the X factor was in creating this unenviable situation we are in, perhaps if we compare notes via PM to see if we can find any similarities or that one minute little detail that set this off, perhaps we can finally find the causal link? Perhaps we will come up empty handed again, perhaps not. I just could live in peace a little bit more so knowing what the tipping point actually was, if there even was one.

At this juncture, what do we have to lose really? Perhaps we might even be able to find something that might help others in the future?

Dear Trenz, my huspand and I are waiting too since May 11. It is 4 weeks now. I am sure there are more people in such a situation as us in VJ website, but they are not a member and do not share their story.

As I said before there is a PDF doc. from a law school which explains some reason which cause some people go through AP, I'll try to attach it here maybe you or some one else like to know what possibly happened to their case. I read it and found 3 possible reasons which might be the reason our case went to AP.

My husband and I are very upset and all our plans are in limbo like our life together. We are trying to be more strong and hoping this difficult days pass faster!

Administrative-Processing-FAQ.pdf

[Trenz 52]

Dear Trenz, my huspand and I are waiting too since May 11. It is 4 weeks now. I am sure there are more people in such a situation as us in VJ website, but they are not a member and do not share their story.

As I said before there is a PDF doc. from a law school which explains some reason which cause some people go through AP, I'll try to attach it here maybe you or some one else like to know what possibly happened to their case. I read it and found 3 possible reasons which might be the reason our case went to AP.

My husband and I are very upset and all our plans are in limbo like our life together. We are trying to be more strong and hoping this difficult days pass faster!

Thank you for posting this! That was a very informative PDF with a lot of good links within it. I had a suspicion of some of the exclusions they listed, but others were from left field. Consulting the PDF there is one potential reason (and I use the word potential loosely) why I may be held up. On the website with a more thorough listing I see one or potentially two reasons I could also be given a greater look, but even those I do not believe are the case as I have satisfied them elsewhere during the process. Important to note, none of the reasons I am assuming are anything criminal in nature.

Even with this list I am still not understanding why I am being held up. As far as I understand, nearly everyone has gone through the AP stage at one point or another, with some taking longer than others. I have not been given any notice of this other than checking my visa status on the CEAC website, thus, I do believe there aren't any holdups in regards to my documentation.

Urgh. I think those of us who are waiting can all agree this is taking a toll on us.

[picasso 2]

Hello,

I am also waiting for response from the Consulate for an L-1A visa (interview on May 12th, status still "administrative processing"). I have reached out the email on the website, Montreal, NIV <Montreal-NIV@state.gov>, on Wednesday, but they haven't replied to my request yet. I have sent the email and then two follow-up emails as they request, with the subjects : "RE: follow-up response", and "follow-up response" asking for an update on my application. Any tips on how I should reach out to them to get an answer? The process is really frustrating but it is even more not having any response whatsoever on what's going on.

Thank you for your tips!

Edited June 12, 2015 by picasso

[Trenz 52]

Hello,

I am also waiting for response from the Consulate for an L-1A visa (interview on May 12th, status still "administrative processing"). I have reached out the email on the website, Montreal, NIV <Montreal-NIV@state.gov>, on Wednesday, but they haven't replied to my request yet. I have sent the email and then two follow-up emails as they request, with the subjects : "RE: follow-up response", and "follow-up response" asking for an update on my application. Any tips on how I should reach out to them to get an answer? The process is really frustrating but it is even more not having any response whatsoever on what's going on.

Thank you for your tips!

To be perfectly honest, in my experience, that email form is really only the direct communication you have with the consulate post-interview. I have searched for a phone number to call and inquire but have not found an appropriate one for someone in our situation. If anyone has one, please feel free to post it.

The only other course of action I took was getting my petitioner to contact our government representative requesting they make an inquiry into my case. I am unsure to what state you would be in, but perhaps it may be prudent to see if you can contact your official? Some have had great success with it, others not so much.

I think you have highlighted the salient point in this, is that, after your interview you are quite literally in the dark about the entire process up until your visa is denied or issued.