Refused at US Consulate in Montreal

[Andy&Vanda 8]

I also have to rant about the ridiculous cycle..

You check you status and it says:
Your visa is in final processing. If you have not received it after more than five (5) working days, please visit www.usvisa-info.com/en-CA/selfservice/us_courier_information to track your courier waybill, to check your profile at the appointment website, or send an email to Contactus_en_ca@usvisa-info.com to determine the status of your passport.

So you visit the website, check your status and guess what, same message!

Then you contact the email address like they instruct you to after 5 days for the status of your passport and you get:

Dear Applicant,
The document status information only appears once your personal documents have been returned by the Embassy or Consulate for shipment to your designated location.
We are not consular officers and as the time it takes to adjudicate an applicant's case is at the sole discretion of the consular section we cannot provide you any information regarding when your personal documents will be turned over to courier. The average wait time is 5-7 business days which does not include weekends or U.S. or national holidays. Please note that this is only an average and not a guarantee as all applications are unique.
We would advise you to keep checking your applicant summary page or use the CEAC Status Check webpage at https://ceac.state.gov/ceacstattracke/status.aspx to check the status of your application.
Please note: An Issued notification on the CEAC Status website does not indicate that the visa has been printed nor that the document has been turned over to the courier. It indicates only that the adjudication is complete and that final processing has begun. It may take several business days after the Issued status for the passport to be turned over to the courier.
Thank you,
The Contact Desk Support Team

So you can either follow the revolving door or contact them for no help whatsoever!

Fifteen days in a hotel an counting ARGH!!

[New User 1000 4]

Wow, does it ever end....

Shouldn't the support team be trained better if they are the one answering inquiries on behalf of the consular officers? I mean if my job was to sit and respond with standard emails, I would love it plus great gov't benefits. This is just ridiculous.

They have no idea how disappointing it is days after days, hours after hours and minutes after minutes to go on a site and check the status to see the same thing over and over again.

How do you know Andy that they delete any postings on Facebook? I wonder if we should all post on the page and see what happens.

[CandAm 14]

Just so I am clear, did you have an up-to-date police certificate at your interview, which then expired while you were in AP?

Thanks for sharing your experience.

Thanks for the advice! We'll definitely call ahead and ask the boarder if the certificate needs to be updated before crossing. We are worried it will expire while we are still in AP - husband's visa hasn't been issued yet.

Just to clarify .... The documents ie Police Certificate and Medical must be current prior to the ISSUE of your VISA... Pretty much the length of time you have between Issue and the date you must do your POE is determined by the date of your Medical.. That's the timeline . So if you had your Medical in April count 6 months from that date and you must do POE pror to that date. If the Medical or Police cert expires while we/you are stuck in this LIMBO stage they have us in they will email you or send you as in my friend's case SNAIL mail to inform you to provide them with current ones. So if you already had your ISSUED you should be good to go. ycross

[Andy&Vanda 8]

I don't know, but just look how fluffy and fun and newsy the site is. I'm a member on other facebook groups and the administrator is diligent to remove posts from trolls and other haters as well as blocking them. You can bet that any of the complaints we voice on VJ would be removed on FB.

[CandAm 14]

Hi! Hi!!

I just contacted DOS/ NVC to question about my case, I spoke to two gentlemen, both very nice in two different departments, they both said that Montreal is the one holding the case on AP. they don't have access to any other information because it's entirely up to the consulate to give an answer.

God!!!! I want to scream!!!!!!! if there was a machine to measure frustration levels, I'm sure I will make it explode right now. I know we all are on the same page.

I want to thanks all of you for being there and read, and comment and give support. My life has become an automatic machine on checking CEAC 1000 times a day. I really wish and pray for this process to finish soon. you guys are the only therapy I have and I want you to know that I really appreciate it! (Sometimes I don't tell my husband how bad I feel because I don't want him to be sad and there's nothing he can do anyways)

Let's see when MTL will answer. good thing they don't have to process visitors visas. or we'll be here forever. I Will like to know how they work or what they do during 8 hours of work. it's inexplicable!....

Happy week and good news to all!!

Oh Idy my heart just aches for you me and the others on here. I probably cried a thousand times today from just overwhelming disappointment... 60 DAYS and counting stuck on READY... BUT it's only MONDAY so let's pray that good news will come this week. Hang in there my friends.

[davealton 0]

devealton are you on AP or waiting like us on stuck on READY?? If yes to either do you know why?? How long have you been waiting?? ago I wouldn't send in anything but I would suggest you get it if it gets close to the expiration date. One of the persons I referenced was not missing anything at interview and was approved..... but then came the AP for months and had to provide updated Medical before the VISA was Issued..based on what I have seen since I have joined VJ it really doesn't matter what was when you interviewed they need current stuff prior to issue if you have been stuck in AP for reasons unknown or if you were issued a 221g . However follow your lawyers guidance. They should know the process ..

We are on AP, and have been since MAY 11 - the interview date. This is our 12th week on AP.

They would not give us a reason. No extra documents were required. My husbands is Canadian 8 generations back - he is a software engineer so it may be because his career is on the technology watch list, which requires clearance from DC. Our case date stopped updating on May 26. So we think all of the security clearances are over, and it's just been sitting at Montreal in the queue. The interview officer told my husband it should only take 3 weeks!

[Andy&Vanda 8]

Correction.. We just called the Loomis office that handles all the government courier services. When the documents from the Consulate are given to Loomis, they enter the waybill numbers into the system which updates the AIS.USAVISA-info site. He told us that if we got email on July 21st, they documents should have been given to Loomis the next day.

He was very nice and looked up our passport numbers but didn't see them on the manifest. He took our number and was going to call us back when this afternoon's shipment comes in. He agreed that we should be concerned after 5 days but didn't know any contacts other than email to help us figure out where they are. So frustrating!

[davealton 0]

Just to clarify .... The documents ie Police Certificate and Medical must be current prior to the ISSUE of your VISA... Pretty much the length of time you have between Issue and the date you must do your POE is determined by the date of your Medical.. That's the timeline . So if you had your Medical in April count 6 months from that date and you must do POE pror to that date. If the Medical or Police cert expires while we/you are stuck in this LIMBO stage they have us in they will email you or send you as in my friend's case SNAIL mail to inform you to provide them with current ones. So if you already had your ISSUED you should be good to go. ycross

Ug, they snail mailed it??

Thanks. I'd love to send in an updated certificate now, but we're going to follow our lawyer's advice and not do so until we're told. Though it kills me!! Hopefully it'll be issued in the next few weeks. So stressful.

[Idy Fdez 34]

I don't know, but just look how fluffy and fun and newsy the site is. I'm a member on other facebook groups and the administrator is diligent to remove posts from trolls and other haters as well as blocking them. You can bet that any of the complaints we voice on VJ would be removed on FB.

Besides the consulate's FB we can also write a post on the U.S. Department of state: consular affairs. they recently post a video from the Abu Dhabi's embassy processing hundreds of passports and visas saying that many consular sections around the word have been working overtime to ensure that travelers get their visas as soon as possible. I think that If they post the good, let's let them know the bad.

[CandAm 14]

We are on AP, and have been since MAY 11 - the interview date. This is our 12th week on AP.

They would not give us a reason. No extra documents were required. My husbands is Canadian 8 generations back - he is a software engineer so it may be because his career is on the technology watch list, which requires clearance from DC. Our case date stopped updating on May 26. So we think all of the security clearances are over, and it's just been sitting at Montreal in the queue. The interview officer told my husband it should only take 3 weeks!

Oh dear Lord I thought we had a bad case. That is so torturous not knowing their real reason for AP. We (my hubby had his interview on 5/5 and was on AP until 6/2..ONCE they received and reviewed the documents. So we have been stuck on READY longer than we were on AP. None of this makes any sense. Anyway hopefully your wait is almost over. My heart churns at reading 12 weeks but to be honest all that's different is that they switched ours to READY(small comfort because it does nothing!! ) so we have been in limbo since 5/5. Hang in there. Fingers crossed and prayers for a change to ISSUED for you this week. Edited July 27, 2015 by CandAm

[davealton 0]

Oh dear Lord I thought we had a bad case. That is so torturous not knowing their real reason for AP. We (my hubby had his interview on 5/5 and was on AP until 6/2..ONCE they received and reviewed the documents. So we have been stuck on READY longer than we were on AP. None of this makes any sense. Anyway hopefully your wait is almost over. My heart churns at reading 12 weeks but to be honest all that's different is that they switched ours to READY(small comfort because it does nothing!! ) so we have been in limbo since 5/5. Hang in there. Fingers crossed and prayers for a change to ISSUED for you this week.

Aw you are lovely, thank you so much. Will be praying that yours gets sorted this week too!

[CandAm 14]

OK so I just got off the phone with the sweetest, kindest customer service rep that I have ever spoken @ NVC.. I am now more discouraged than when I made the call because after a long hold while she researched she came back on the line to inform me that although CEAC states READY my hubby's file is still in AP status being reviewed by the C/O. She could not understand why or what could be taking so long. If MTL takes over 8 weeks to validate the authenticity of a simple document then something is really wrong with their process. She was really compassionate but really could'nt do anything other than encourage me to not be intimidated by the verbiage in their emails and that it's over 8 weeks and I should have answers. Tomorrow I am reaching out to the DOS complaint HOT Line. Her findings were really been the last straw! Wrote to my Congressman again today.

[Andy&Vanda 8]

Finally! The manager at Loomis called us to tell us our passports are on his manifest and should be ready for pickup tomorrow.

So our next entries will be the POE experience in Buffalo with two cars and a cat! Should be interesting.

I can't believe the human hardship that Montreal has caused. We are planning to work with our Congresswoman to see if more permanent changes can be implemented to help Canadians immigrate to the US. My fiance wants to get a job at the consulate so she go fire a few of the horrible people we've had to deal with!! Or at least post some real stories on FB!!

I know our journey isn't over yet.. POE tomorrow, New wedding plans, then AOS and more BS to get the green card, but have to say thanks to all of you for your support and help navigating this nightmare of a government agency. Seriously, without this site to share information and vent we would have been totally lost!

[New User 1000 4]

Hi Andy&Canda, a huge congratulations to you. I hope and pray that thing go smoother at the border for you until you reach home, out of that hotel and settle in. Have fun and enjoy most of all - you have stressed enough.

Let me know if you need anything. I am more than willing to contribute to the current process at Montreal. For some reason, this consulate isn't able to issue a visa with a clean interview or with missing documents submitted 2 months ago while all the other agency processes it much faster.

Once again, congrats and enjoy!

[CandAm 14]

Andy & VabdaFinally.. So happy for you. All the best as you do your POE. You have weathered the worst of the storm. Everything else will be a breeze. Good luck with the new wedding plans. Praying for the rest of us, that our stormy times on VJ and dealing with MTV will end soon. New User1000 thinking of you especially as today is July 27th. Praying you hear good news today.