Refused at US Consulate in Montreal

[Andy&Vanda 8]

Congratulations!! As jealous as I admit, I am happy someone is getting through!

As our families are gathering in Florida for our, now cancelled, wedding, we are crammed in a Toronto hotel with our cat.

My Fiance tried to notify the Consulate that we are now homeless and inquired how to handle the fact we have no address. Their reply:

Good afternoon,

Thank you for your email!

As explained on countless occasions your last document was received on June 5^th, 2015. We ask that applicants allow for 8 weeks of processing from the day we receive the document at post. Please allow for the required process to take place, files are adjudicated in the order they are received.

Best regards,

OP11

[New User 1000 4]

I truly am sorry Andy&Vanda. I think that there is not much sympathy you are going to get from the consulate and unfortunately that is the reality. I really do hope things change for you but this is how I look at it. I would stop writing them an inquiry for now. What you can do is have your sponsor raise a concern to DoS or other appropriate authority. Have you tried calling NVC?

If you look at DSH, his documents were received on May 19 and today is June 16 - that is 8 weeks timeline and since they stated that they are process in order they are received, you and I are far behind (mine was received on June 4 so we should be around the same time). I doubt that there is any improvement in that timeline with the hardware glitch that they had which created a huge backlog. Hence I would plan accordingly to that timeline. Anything before 8 weeks will be a miracle for us.

I wish you the best. At least you can come here and a lot of people here are quite helpful, sympathetic and you can vent as much as you want. We understand.

Edited July 16, 2015 by New User 1000

[Andy&Vanda 8]

Good advice. I was about to send them our house closing documents and my US pay stubs, but think now it's a bad idea. I am the sponsor and they no longer reply to my emails. I've opened congressional investigations through both Congresswoman Lois Frankel and Senator Marco Rubio. (The White House hasn't responded yet) Both have contacted the Consulate and sent me the same curt replies from Montreal about "extensive administrative processing". I'm now working illegally in Canada as a US employee since June 15th putting both myself and my company in tax non-compliance. Our son's school in Florida is now working to get a student visa so he can enter the US and start the 6th grade Aug 17th in the event our K-1s are held up further.

At what point does this become a humanitarian issue real enough for them to expedite or visas? Our booked wedding July 19th is cancelled, we're homeless, I shouldn't be working in Canada and our son cannot attend school. We are under tremendous financial strain living in a hotel, while paying to store our household goods and paying for a home in Florida that we cannot get to.

I haven't called the NVC. Would it really make a difference at this point??

Ironically, we are a block from the US Consulate in Toronto, but unless I'm arrested or lost my passport, won't speak to me.

[New User 1000 4]

I am sorry that nothing is working. My hope is that you don't want to be in the radar in a bad way so hide a bit, check your status if you fancy and start making plans for the 8 week period. We can only wait and hope sadly. I know it's hard as I fight every day through it. I hope your son doesn't miss school and is able to go but he is only in 6th grade, is there someone to look after him in Florida?

When you speak to NVC, don't ask whether when you will get your visa but try to be more specific in your questions. Such as, has it clear the system check? Has the system check flagged my name or other things? etc.

There was also a thread way back where you could fax a supervisor (http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/285345-how-to-conquer-the-montreal-consulate-backlog/). I am not sure if that works now or not but you could look at it and definitely write a good letter. If you do write a letter though, try to be put it in more reasonable, understanding words. Raging out at them could only hurt your case I think. Please don't mind. I want to be clear so it doesn't hurt your case any longer.

Get your current situation together with you, your partner and child. Everything else can happen after you move. The loss of money, home and everything can be devastating but please stay strong. You have a whole life ahead of you.

[Andy&Vanda 8]

Thank you! That is profoundly kind of you!

Support is good and needed as we can't bare to even look at the posts in FB of our family and friends arriving in Florida for our wedding while we sit in our hotel room eating rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.

We already tried the Supervisor route 2 weeks ago. Again, they never even replied, so further proof they are pissed at, and punishing us with silence.

Senator Marco Rubio contacted us tonight with the exact same form letter from the Consulate as we received from Congresswoman Lois Frankel. Clearly, they don't care or kowtow to any elected government officials.

There is no one in Florida to take our son to school so the only alternative would be to obtain a student visa for him. Then as sponsor and US citizen I take him down for school. Leaving his mother in Canada is an unbearable, unspeakable, thought. His late father was a 20 year veteran of the Toronto police, so keeping our family together is paramount.

Again, at what point does this become a legitimate humanitarian issue?

[DSH 0]

Thanks, I really do hope so. It definitely is sooo much tougher than anything. I am glad some people are getting good news. It's a hope for all of us that are waiting.

Hang in there everyone. I know it's so hard waiting and more waiting not to mention the stress that goes along with it. It certainly is tough being away from the people we love. If anyone has any questions on my process I'm more than happy to share. As well my wife and I also did the Canadian Immigration a couple of years ago. We have good insight on both country's process's.

Thanks

DSH

[CandAm 14]

Congratulations DSH. I am encouraged based on your timeline that my hubby should not be far behind. We got the required missing documents to MTL based on their records 5/29 . He has changed from AP to READY since 6/2. So since they seem to be holding fast to their 8 weeks to Review I have 7/24 OR 7/27 as my date Everyone else waiting hang in there. We are all in this CRAZY boat together ...

[CandAm 14]

Thank you! That is profoundly kind of you!

Support is good and needed as we can't bare to even look at the posts in FB of our family and friends arriving in Florida for our wedding while we sit in our hotel room eating rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.

We already tried the Supervisor route 2 weeks ago. Again, they never even replied, so further proof they are pissed at, and punishing us with silence.

Senator Marco Rubio contacted us tonight with the exact same form letter from the Consulate as we received from Congresswoman Lois Frankel. Clearly, they don't care or kowtow to any elected government officials.

There is no one in Florida to take our son to school so the only alternative would be to obtain a student visa for him. Then as sponsor and US citizen I take him down for school. Leaving his mother in Canada is an unbearable, unspeakable, thought. His late father was a 20 year veteran of the Toronto police, so keeping our family together is paramount.

Again, at what point does this become a legitimate humanitarian issue?

Andy&Vanda my heart breaks for you every time I read your posts. I will be praying that you get good news today or definitely next week. I agree don't write to them again until your 8 weeks mark. I feel they are being punitive right now because I NEVER heard the 8 weeks until my last inquiry to them.. Your situation has so many layers that should cause them to care BUT they really don't see anything through our eyes. Hang in there.

[Idy Fdez 34]

Hi everybody:

The first 60 days on AP for my case will be next monday/20, they have done only 1 update, (jul/7) but no communication from the embassy or additional documents has been requested, after seeing so many cases that are waiting unnecessary I'm afraid of sending an inquiry and affect the process. any suggestions Please!!!

[CandAm 14]

Hi everybody:

The first 60 days on AP for my case will be next monday/20, they have done only 1 update, (jul/7) but no communication from the embassy or additional documents has been requested, after seeing so many cases that are waiting unnecessary I'm afraid of sending an inquiry and affect the process. any suggestions Please!!!

I would send an inquiry o n day 61 Their verbiage states that we should allow 60 days from your interview date or from the date the receive the documents. They have us all intimidated right now because THEY HOLD THE HANDLE !!! BUT we still have rights especially since you were never told a reason for the extended AP. Hang in there. Hopefully they will respond with some insight .

[davealton 0]

Have any Canadians tried calling the NVC? We're thinking about it, maybe they'd know if the security checks or whatever the agencies are doing are over. (We're on AP for "no reason", 2 months and 1 week now.) Please let me know if you'd had any luck calling the NVC at this stage.

[CandAm 14]

Have any Canadians tried calling the NVC? We're thinking about it, maybe they'd know if the security checks or whatever the agencies are doing are over. (We're on AP for "no reason", 2 months and 1 week now.) Please let me know if you'd had any luck calling the NVC at this stage.

I have called NVC back in June after my hubby had been stuck on READY for a month. They really couldn't tell me anything that I didn't already know. Your call to them will also generate a date update on your file but other than that I didn't really find it a useful step.

[davealton 0]

Hi everybody:

The first 60 days on AP for my case will be next monday/20, they have done only 1 update, (jul/7) but no communication from the embassy or additional documents has been requested, after seeing so many cases that are waiting unnecessary I'm afraid of sending an inquiry and affect the process. any suggestions Please!!!

There is no evidence that enquiring will delay your case. The operators aren't the ones working on it, and they "welcome" you to enquire after 60 days. Thought I think you'll get the same automated response, I don't think there is any harm. Please let us know the outcome!

[Andy&Vanda 8]

Not sure I agree with that statement. We received the following warning after sending multiple requests:

"Sending multiple inquires regarding the same issue when you have already been answered will cause additional delay to your file."

[davealton 0]

Not sure I agree with that statement. We received the following warning after sending multiple requests:

"Sending multiple inquires regarding the same issue when you have already been answered will cause additional delay to your file."

Yes I remember reading that - I think they are just trying to get you to stop sending multiple enquires. I can't image the email operators really have the power to penalize you and affect where your paper work sits in the officer's pile.

At any rate, this other person hasn't enquired at all - my response from them after 60 days was automated, but very polite.