Passport Return: Canada Post strike

[arellah 125]

14 hours ago, riya2017 said:

L1 visa...I am thinking of going to Calgary to pick it up next week Nov 13th or 14th . The consulate replied saying they will hold the passport and ship it as soon as strike is over. I will write to them and see if they can hold it so that I can pick it up in person . 

 

Is that possible?

I would think so. In Montreal, they've been sending out emails when the passports are ready for pickup. I would just check with the Calgary consulate to make sure! Good luck!

[Arctic Fox 4]

They told me I could pick up my passport this morning between 10-12 and my flight was at 8:30 😢 feels bad man (interview was Nov 7). There was no way I could change it either unfortunately. I think I'm going to get it couriered to me if possible like the other user here did...either that or take a train/bus back to Montreal but this courier way seems the cheapest/most convenient. Anyone have any suggestions of which service to use? Will UPS pick up the package or do I have to go through someone else first? Thank you! 

[arellah 125]

On ‎11‎/‎7‎/‎2018 at 11:35 AM, saadbutt said:

Hi everyone,

 

Here is how i got my passport back without making a trip to Montreal.

 

I had already seen my status changed to issued online. I emailed montreal embassy and they sent me the generic email.

 

I contacted a messenger company in Montreal (the one i used was called messageries speedo though i am pretty sure there are other courier companies as well).

 

I emailed them the pickup email as well as a signed authorization letter (not notarized though) to pick up my passport on my behalf from the embassy.

 

Their messenger went out on tuesday and the embassy gave them my passport. they sent it to me same day through UPS and i received it today in Halifax in the afternoon.

 

This whole process was less than 2 days and cost me a total of 55 dollars.

 

Hope this helps some of you

@mikobarb  This is one user's experience using a courier service!

[Arctic Fox 4]

On 11/10/2018 at 11:30 AM, arellah said:

@mikobarb  This is one user's experience using a courier service!

Thanks - this is what I ended up doing! 

 

For more details for those who are interested: I e-mailed Messageries Speedo Monday morning and they e-mailed me back and told me to call. I called and spoke to Sylvain (ask for him!) and he was very helpful. I told him my package needed to be picked up Tuesday (as per the e-mail I received from the Consulate giving me that option) between 10am and 12pm. He needed an authorization letter, which I sent him as well as the e-mail the consulate sent me (I had to wait until I had access to a printer/scanner so I could sign so the office was closed by the time I was able to send the documents. Sylvain called me back Tuesday right in the morning to confirm delivery and so I could pay). I got my package today, Wednesday, before 6pm. They sent it through UPS for next day shipping. Everything is intact and the package that says "DO NOT OPEN" is not opened!  I paid 50.75$ total and it saved me from returning to Montreal, staying there for a few extra days, and worrying about the darn Canada Post strike. It's definitely worth it! My interview was last Wednesday and I have my visa in hand exactly a week later. Such an easy process. :DD 

 

Thanks for recommending this option @saadbutt and for pointing it out to me @arellah!!

[Mevora 11]

Congrats on every one who are getting their passports back. In my case, embassy is unable to locate my passports which were sent a month ago. Still waiting to hear back from them

[Arctic Fox 4]

On 11/14/2018 at 7:01 PM, Mevora said:

Congrats on every one who are getting their passports back. In my case, embassy is unable to locate my passports which were sent a month ago. Still waiting to hear back from them

I'm sorry to hear that! That's #######. When my fiance sent me the documents required on his behalf for the interview, he had sent through USPS/CP .... and it took a lonnnnng time to arrive and arrived the day before I left for Montreal I believe. We were unable to locate it and it was very frustrating. These rotating strikes are probably causing a lot of mail to be lost/untrackable, and it's not cool. I hope yours comes to you soon! 

 

 

[Mevora 11]

4 minutes ago, mikobarb said:

I'm sorry to hear that! That's #######. When my fiance sent me the documents required on his behalf for the interview, he had sent through USPS/CP .... and it took a lonnnnng time to arrive and arrived the day before I left for Montreal I believe. We were unable to locate it and it was very frustrating. These rotating strikes are probably causing a lot of mail to be lost/untrackable, and it's not cool. I hope yours comes to you soon! 

 

  

Yes I hope so too. My CAEC is getting updated regularly but no response to my email from Embassy or change in AP status 

[CKING 0]

I had my interview on Nov 9th, now I know much time has not passed, but I am just interested in knowing if everyone without fail is getting these emails to indicate that their visa is ready for pick up? In the past before this was there some indication as well when they mail your prepared visa? 

 

I am worried because it looks like some people are left not notified that 1. Their visa is ready 2. Nothing is being done with it. Which email address do I email in order to get a word back like some have mentioned prompting them to inform that your visa is prepared? I did contact canada_contactus@visaops.net already and got the generic reply this morning that people have already indicated.  Can I have a courier service go if my case states "issued"?

 

Thanks for your help in advance

[Mevora 11]

Whats th e Emaik address that you guys are getting email to pickup the passports? Is it the embassy or the ais/visa ops one?

[Arctic Fox 4]

donotreply@usvisa-info.com

this was the e-mail that I was receiving from (their name shows as "The Visa Information Service). 

 

The end of the e-mail says:

"For any questions, please contact our official U.S. Visa Information services at: https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-ca/niv/information/contact_us"

 

@CKING I had my interview November 7th and was contacted via e-mail the following day to pick it up on the 9th. I received the same e-mail (with different dates) two more times. My status was also changed to "Issued" at the time of the first e-mail. This was just my experience. I don't know if they are doing the same for everyone...but I hope so. X.x sorry I know that's not very helpful. Bad timing with this strike.

[Mevora 11]

So my CAEC status got changed to Issued but in the box below it says the following. Is it normal ? Also no email from the embassy on pickup so I'll wait for couple of days before sending some one

 

Your visa case is currently undergoing necessary administrative processing. This processing can take several weeks. As the officer told you in the interview, if further information is needed, you will be contacted. If your visa application is approved when administrative processing is finished, you will receive notification to collect the passport with the visa from the Loomis branch you selected when you booked your appointment.

Please note: Under the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act, Immigrant Visas for "Diversity Visas" cannot be issued after September 30th of the year in which you were selected to apply for a Diversity Visa. For example, entrants into the Diversity Visa Program in Fall of 2011 were selected for Diversity Visa 2012 Program, and selectees MUST apply and receive their visa prior to September 30, 2012 otherwise they lose eligibility to receive a Diversity Immigrant Visa, regardless of additional administrative processing. Also, some immigrant visas may not be able to be issued if the annual numerical limit for that category has been reached. 

For more information, please visit TRAVEL.STATE.GOV.

[Fekiryasenifal 36]

Hello Canadian fellows ,I had interview on 29 October and at the interview I was told congratulation and approved  when I checked my status after interview it says issued but in the box ‘’your visa case is currently undergoing necessary administrative processing ,this processing can take several weeks”.....I had come from Calgary a week before my interview I and stayed in Montreal after interview almost 2 weeks waiting to pick up my passport  I even went back to the consulate to ask about picking up my passport but I was told not ready it was furstrating waiting waiting specially when I heard  my visa journey friends who we went interview the same date  got theirs p in 3 days that is when I started worriying so i emailed to consulate for an update  regarding my passport ,then they replaid Saying    As we finish reviewing we will let you know after waiting long then I recivied pick up email on Friday from the consulate so exactly in 3 weeks after my interview Iam glad iam going to pickup passport tomorrow status changed to “final processin if you don’t receive your in more than 5 working days.... “If they take time to send you email to pick up ur passport that means they needed more time to review your case so is good idea to relax and wait as long as you are approved nothing to worry about it .so Iam happy to join visajourney it helped me a lot with my process  thank you all.

[Rawan jaber 1]

On 11/8/2018 at 2:56 PM, saadbutt said:

I just put in my passport number and my case number. 

 

I left a blank space for the name field of the person picking up and put in the name of the courier company so the letter was something along the lines of

 

" my name is ______, my passport number is ______ and my case number is ______

 

I authorize _________ (that is the field i left blank so the courier company could fill out the name of the person picking up if needed) from messageries speedo to pick up my passport on my behalf if my visa has been issued. If you need any confirmation or clarification please contact me at ______(phone number)"

 

 

I’m hoping to get in touch with this service tomorrow. I just got the email did pick up at the consulate. I live in Windsor Ontario though so definitely need courier! Any advice? 

[Mevora 11]

1 hour ago, Rawan jaber said:

I’m hoping to get in touch with this service tomorrow. I just got the email did pick up at the consulate. I live in Windsor Ontario though so definitely need courier! Any advice? 

I spoke to them today & they did sent in the person however I forgot to attach the letter by the embassy. So just make sure you do so. He'll go there tomorrow. I was surprised that Courier company didn't point it out

[CKING 0]

3 hours ago, Rawan jaber said:

I’m hoping to get in touch with this service tomorrow. I just got the email did pick up at the consulate. I live in Windsor Ontario though so definitely need courier! Any advice? 

Do you mind if I ask when your interview date was?