"No available appointments" in Montreal

[B-2-Z 37]

We got our package 4 instructions on Nov 20th and we've been checking for an available appointment but it says there are none. Is this normal? How long did you have to wait for one?

[Smiley-one 13]

took me 2 months. Check early in the morning and at random times throughout the day Appointments can pop up at random times at any time of day..

[B-2-Z 37]

Oh no, I hope ours doesn't take that long.

[RobertnLaura 2]

I am in the same boat (which seems odd to me because my friend got his packet 4 the day after he submitted his ds-160 and then was given many options to choose from (this was a week and a half ago).

What worries me most is that on the original petition there is a section on the top left corner that says the petition is valid for 4 months. For us that means the middle of December. Does anyone know if that date applies to the next step or the whole process?

[Soapies 18]

I am in the same boat (which seems odd to me because my friend got his packet 4 the day after he submitted his ds-160 and then was given many options to choose from (this was a week and a half ago).

What worries me most is that on the original petition there is a section on the top left corner that says the petition is valid for 4 months. For us that means the middle of December. Does anyone know if that date applies to the next step or the whole process?

I also got Packet 4 immediately after sending Packet 3 and I was also able to chose from tons of options. I don't know WHY that happened to me since I've heard of so many people waiting months for an open day. I was expecting a long wait so when I saw the open calender I picked one immediately before talking to my fiance or my dad (who was my ride out there) ... And just hoped and prayed they were good for that day because I thought for sure if I waited, nothing would be left. I was picking the interview date at the beginning of October, so maybe it helped it was the beginning of the month. I think at the beginning of the month they open more appointments but once they are full you have to check every day and hope someone had a cancellation.

The petition "expiration" date you're talking about is nothing to worry about... as long as you're actively working towards the progress of the visa.. it's my understanding they can extend it at the interview? Like, it's sort of just a time frame/guideline that it should take from the NOA2 to the interview date but it's not like if you pass that date then you're SOL and you need to start over again. I can't remember what I read about it though, but I know it isn't anything to worry about

[NikLR 13,227]

Pretty normal for K1. IR1/CR1 is priority at Montreal, unlike most embassies. But that's as it should be IMHO. Once you pick a date however, you can easily keep logging in to pick a quicker one as needed.

[RobertnLaura 2]

Thanks for the updated responses. I was very concerned about the expiry date so I am pleased to hear that Soapies.

On another note, I am curious as to why one would think that ir1/cr1 should take priority. I am not trying to be argumentative but the comment kind of got my back up because we could chose what was supposed to have been the fastest method, regardless of the higher cost. We could have just as easily gotten married first. Maybe the comment got my back up because I am getting stressed which really is wasted energy.

If it isn't obvious, there are still no appointments available in Montreal that I have come across. Same with you S2BMZ?

[B-2-Z 37]

Yeah, very disappointed that there are still no appointments. Our petition date is until Feb 22,2015, so I'd really like to get one booked soon, just so we can have it done easily. I don't want to have to worry about the expiry dates. We were also hoping to be moved by March 1.

I partially agree with NLR said, because many IR-1/CR-1 couples are married and living separately. I know I wouldn't want to be separated from my fiance(we live together already) especially if we were married.

[NikLR 13,227]

The K1 visa process is so much faster as it is, people like me appreciate that kind of sentimentality from the K1 peoples. Thanks!

We were married in May and didn't live together until June the following year, and my journey was super fast!

[vic&ken 1]

This is kind off topic but if you don't state in your email you want correspondence for packet 4 electronically, do I have to wait for the physical package to book an appointment?

[B-2-Z 37]

No problem, NLR

On packet 4; I'm not sure, I forgot to state that in my email and they sent it to me the next morning via email anyways. I'd email them with your case number at the top and try asking

[Soapies 18]

Thanks for the updated responses. I was very concerned about the expiry date so I am pleased to hear that Soapies.

On another note, I am curious as to why one would think that ir1/cr1 should take priority. I am not trying to be argumentative but the comment kind of got my back up because we could chose what was supposed to have been the fastest method, regardless of the higher cost. We could have just as easily gotten married first. Maybe the comment got my back up because I am getting stressed which really is wasted energy.

welcome!

I also felt the same way when I read that comment. Everyone thinks their case is the most important one. I think they are all equally as important. Whether or not CR1 visas are priority at Montreal I have no idea. But the argument that "married" couples are more affected by being apart... lol, yeah ok.

But anywho.

Any luck? :/

[NikLR 13,227]

I was engaged and lived apart and I was married and lived apart. I can tell you in my experience there was a difference, even though I give very high priority to being engaged. In my mind, once you are engaged, you should be willing to get married that very minute and many choose a long engagement merely to have a big wedding. Many people on this forum purposely pick the K1 route because they do not want to live apart after marriage. So the K1 may be faster but it may not work for everyone. It really did not work for us. It was not cost that was a factor because in the end I spent more money because I had to interview in Montreal and I was living in Alberta. I feel really bad for all the K1 who are no longer able to interview in Vancouver because it was a huge positive for the K1 visa.

[vic&ken 1]

No problem, NLR

On packet 4; I'm not sure, I forgot to state that in my email and they sent it to me the next morning via email anyways. I'd email them with your case number at the top and try asking

Thank you so much!!! hopefully I hear back soon but I'll try and send another email and thanks again

[CanadianMom 45]

I also lived apart while engaged and married. The 4 months we were apart while married were harder than any other...not that any of them are easy. Married people are supposed to live together, but many engaged people don't live together...there's just not that same expectation.

I don't know if there's really a priority or not...if there is though CR1/IR1s have to wait longer to be reunited than K1s, if they do get priority at the consulate stage they've already been waiting longer....maybe that's why and not because one relationship status is more worthy than the other.