MTL Timeline to Interview

[Melyssa 0]

Ya, I might bug Montreal, but I'm tryin to save up my annoying emails to them for later on I'll give em another week or so!

The email they sent me was actually very polite and courteous... but yeah, I'm not going to be emailing them more than I 'have' to.

[Alan & Sharon 0]

Latest Update on the Consulate.

From what my Congressman's office is telling me, Montreal (and all consulates for that matter) will do about as much work as necessary to keep their workload close to the projected timelines. Once it begins to get well in excess of their capabilities to keep up, they will eventually bring in help from the State Department temporarily to get processing times back in line. What this means IS, the projected timeline is an AVERAGE processing time, and as long as they are within that AVERAGE, nothing much will happen. They have a directive to bring their caseloads to within that average timeline, not to actually MEET it. The local Consular officers will, once the processing will exceed the MAXIMUM processing length, request additional help so that they can catch back up, but as soon as the case load is back within their projected AVERAGE, the help is released.

What this means to US. If the projected processing times on their website say 6 months, then the timeframes can be anywhere from one day to ONE YEAR. Now they don't want to have too many of us at the UPPER end of that range, but they ALSO do not want too many in the LOWER range either, because then their average timeline would be reduced, and any increased workload would make them look bad by missing their goals. With a faster average processing time, this creates more opportunity to MISS that goal more often, thus making that Consulate look bad. No Consular official wants to look bad. So they concentrate all of their efforts at keeping the status quo. So those applications that were submitted back in August, and have had to have corrections, replies from us, etc. all of a sudden begin to receive more attention as their time on file reaches the threshold of processing time. So then, OTHER processing comes to a halt, or is put on the back burner temporarily, which pushes EVERYONE back.

Evidently, they are now approaching that dreaded UPPER END, after having caught up previously with a backload at the end of last year. It goes in cycles with them. Get caught up, process normally and begin to fall behind again, then send out for more help, pull 24 hour shifts (any of you here long enough will remember getting emails on Saturdays and Sundays for a brief while).

What can WE do? Call your congressional offices, senators, lawyers, etc. Place ENOUGH pressure on Montreal, and they will YELL FOR HELP from the State Department to quell the uproar before someone's head is handed to them in a basket. Now, IF you are willing to let the cycle take it's natural course, it will probably peak within the next few months, and then Montreal will suddenly be sending out masses of appointment emails. BUT, we can speed up that process NOW by doing some calling to officials that CAN do something about it.

The good news is, if your Congressman's aides are as good as mine (she is actually INTERESTED in my Fiancee's state of despair) they will email, call, then DEMAND some answers. The woman heping us actually told me "Don't worry sweetie, we are going to get your Fiancee here asap, you just let me handle this for you". Now THAT will bring a smile to your lips

[Emancipation 2]

WOW... now that's an answer... Good for you for being vocal and getting your concerns heard! Wishing you a speedy approval!

[jg_am 0]

The good news is, if your Congressman's aides are as good as mine (she is actually INTERESTED in my Fiancee's state of despair) they will email, call, then DEMAND some answers. The woman heping us actually told me "Don't worry sweetie, we are going to get your Fiancee here asap, you just let me handle this for you". Now THAT will bring a smile to your lips

Wow, our tax dollars/pollitcal system actuall at work.

Edited April 30, 2007 by jg_am

[Presgirl 0]

I wonder if this has anything to do with Montreal's response to my congressperson that they are not outside the timeframe?

[Presgirl 0]

My latest reply from Montreal -- Actually from my congressperson's aide...

Monday, April 30th

Dear Sinead:

Below is the text of the response we received through the Montreal Consulate. Although the consulate does not specify a date, it does let us know that we can expect an appointment date issued in June to be scheduled no later than the end of August (6 to 8 weeks later).

I hope that this information is helpful to you. I imagine that this is not what you wanted to hear and I wish that they had been able to give a specific date at a minimum. If you like, please call me in June and I can follow up again, this time hopefully getting a definitive date.

I will keep your file open for follow up.

Best regards,

---

Congressional Assistant

Office of Congresswoman ---

Letter From Montreal to my Congresswoman:

Dear Congresswoman ---:

Thank you for your letter regarding the fiancé visa application of ---. We received notification on January 17 that Mr. --- had collected the necessary documents and was ready for an interview. Unfortunately, our current demand for immigrant and fiancée visas far outstrips our resources. As a result, we have a backlog of up to six months for appointments to become available.

Because our automated systems schedule interviews only one month at a time, and then only 6 to 8 weeks in advance, it is not possible for us to accurately predict when a future appointment will be available for any specific case. But given the long waits that other fiancée visa applicants are experiencing, it is doubtful we will be able to accommodate Mr. --- before June at the earliest. I regret that the size of our workload makes it impossible to expedite appointment dates to meet pre-arranged plans.

I hope this information is helpful.

Sincerely,

---

Consular Section Chief

US Consulate General Montreal

A few thoughts:

Alan and Sharon noted that we really needed to put pressure on Montreal. This proves it.

This letter from the Cosular Section Chief tells us that appointments are scheduled through an automated system and that they are scheduled one month at a time and 6 to 8 weeks in advance. Is this consistent with our experiences at VJ?

They have a backlog of 6 months? Why aren't they seeking State Department help (per Alan's note)?

I'm moving between tears and anger right now. And they are so damn nonchalant about the whole thing!

[Necrotica 0]

I'm sorry if this is a stupid question, but how exactly do we get our congresspeople involved? Does anyone have a generic letter they can share?

The thought of my fiancé not having his interview until anywhere from August to October makes me sick. At that point, it would have been over a year since we started all this. This stress from this whole ordeal post-NVC has contributed to my health problems and played a role in me losing my job. And what about the I-134 and the supporting documents? How long are those good for? If I have to redo all of those, I am screwed. If they ask him what job I do, he'll probably be denied the visa when he tells them I'm unemployed, if I still am at that time, which is a possibility because of my health problems flaring up so badly.

Edited April 30, 2007 by Necrotica

[Chica Yeyé 41]

They have a backlog of 6 months? Why aren't they seeking State Department help (per Alan's note)?

I'm moving between tears and anger right now. And they are so damn nonchalant about the whole thing!

Talk about putting some pressure!!! I know it's frustrating, but we all need to hang in there. We are calling MTL tomorrow (day off since I got root cannal about one hour ago) and in the most obvious case that they don't have an interview date for us we already have the contact info for our Congresman's Director of International Somethingstuff. Then we will also jump in the pressure wagon. If they need help (MTL) they should ask for it!!!! Sheesh!

Off topic: how amazingly informative is the London Consulate website.... the COMPLETE OPPOSITE to the crappinessssss of amcits.

[Colin Wilson 0]

I'm sorry if this is a stupid question, but how exactly do we get our congresspeople involved? Does anyone have a generic letter they can share?

The thought of my fiancé not having his interview until anywhere from August to October makes me sick. At that point, it would have been over a year since we started all this. This stress from this whole ordeal post-NVC has contributed to my health problems and played a role in me losing my job. And what about the I-134 and the supporting documents? How long are those good for? If I have to redo all of those, I am screwed. If they ask him what job I do, he'll probably be denied the visa when he tells them I'm unemployed, if I still am at that time, which is a possibility because of my health problems flaring up so badly.

I think this is a Link to find your rep and send a message

http://www.house.gov/writerep/

Regards

[Presgirl 0]

Montreal gave us an interview date of May 9th at 8:30 a.m. when Jon called through! I'm still in shock ...

Edited May 1, 2007 by Presgirl

[kimmbo 0]

Montreal gave us an interview date of May 9th at 8:30 a.m. when Jon called through! I'm still in shock ...

Congrats!!

[misa 2]

Montreal gave us an interview date of May 9th at 8:30 a.m. when Jon called through! I'm still in shock ...

Whoa, that's next week! I hope you get your interview letter in the next couple of days. And congrats!

[Allie 5]

Congrats to you I'm right in your time line I'm trying to call Montreal only a busy signal though

[piosenka 0]

Montreal gave us an interview date of May 9th at 8:30 a.m. when Jon called through! I'm still in shock ...

Whoa, they let you know only 8 days before? I'm confused! If Jon hadn't called, would you have known your interview date? I mean, it's great news and congrats... but, did they just decide to fill your case in when someone else cancelled or something? Does it have to do with your involvement with your congress person?

[CutienPurg 0]

that's incedible news !!!!!

Congrats!!!