Concerned Coronavirus may cause issues (merged)

[jackanddeona 310]

7 hours ago, MovingToFlorida said:

Would they start interviewing if they have stopped immigration?  I guess some can still go. We are a family F3 visa so we can't go until Trump opens immigration up for us again. we had our interview booked and it was canceled 5 days before it due to closing the consulate for the pandemic. no idea when we'll get an interview now. 

They have only stopped certain visas so yes they could begin interviews for the ones not currently banned. Doesn't mean they will do so.

[canadavisa22 202]

On 5/29/2020 at 3:39 PM, DGF said:

Yep, ours would have been this month so I feel you. Now it feels like it's going to be a really long wait. I wish they'd give us something, like which phase in the reopening plan we need to get to, or even "it won't be until at least _____" so we're not just completely in the dark trying to get some sense out of nothing. 

I'm in a little different situation as my spouse and I both live in Canada and I was also going to have my interview this or last month. But now...the last thing we want to do is make this huge move in the middle of a recession and a pandemic.

 

But there's such a huge backlog that if we skip the appointment and try to reschedule for a year later (which is the longest you can delay before you have to start the whole process over) there's no guarantee we can even get an interview, right?

 

Tough decision ahead for us personally but I'd rather stay and get through this here. I just can't imagine how long the process would take a 2nd time especially under another Trump administration.

[NikLR 13,227]

You can take longer than a year.  However, Montreal may return your file to the NVC if you dont keep in contact.  Regardless an approved I-130 doesnt expire and you'd use the I-824 to pull it out of storage when you were ready to proceed again. 

[Dobbie 6]

7 hours ago, NikLR said:

You can take longer than a year.  However, Montreal may return your file to the NVC if you dont keep in contact.  Regardless an approved I-130 doesnt expire and you'd use the I-824 to pull it out of storage when you were ready to proceed again. 

By keep in contact, what do you mean? I've been logging into the Yatri website every now and then to stay active. Is that fine?

[canadavisa22 202]

15 hours ago, NikLR said:

You can take longer than a year.  However, Montreal may return your file to the NVC if you dont keep in contact.  Regardless an approved I-130 doesnt expire and you'd use the I-824 to pull it out of storage when you were ready to proceed again. 

Interesting. I'll have to look into it. I don't mind that even if there's a fee. I suppose the wait for an interview might not be as bad in a year or two once a backlog is hopefully cleared out. 

 

How do you keep in contact if you're already through the NVC stage?

Edited June 8, 2020 by canadavisa22

[NikLR 13,227]

5 hours ago, canadavisa22 said:

Interesting. I'll have to look into it. I don't mind that even if there's a fee. I suppose the wait for an interview might not be as bad in a year or two once a backlog is hopefully cleared out. 

 

How do you keep in contact if you're already through the NVC stage?

Email consulate?

[Dobbie 6]

Most things officially re-opened - including gyms, bars, and malls.

 

The land border closure has been extended...but will the embassy continue not doing K1 and spousal interviews? Canadians can actually fly into America with air travel right now.

 

It's time for the embassy to open up and give priority to those who had cancelled interviews.

 

I am starting to worry as my original interview date was in April. My passport expires March 2021, meaning I only have until September for my passport to meet the 6 month viability threshold. Passport offices and Service Canada offices are closed. Getting real concerned by the timing of everything.

[Kay__ 7]

35 minutes ago, Dobbie said:

Most things officially re-opened - including gyms, bars, and malls.

 

The land border closure has been extended...but will the embassy continue not doing K1 and spousal interviews? Canadians can actually fly into America with air travel right now.

 

It's time for the embassy to open up and give priority to those who had cancelled interviews.

 

I am starting to worry as my original interview date was in April. My passport expires March 2021, meaning I only have until September for my passport to meet the 6 month viability threshold. Passport offices and Service Canada offices are closed. Getting real concerned by the timing of everything.

I agree. US consulate in S.Korea, they re-schedule interview for ONLY cancelled CR-1 visa. Also some of other CR-1 interview resumed.

 

[MovingToFlorida 71]

18 hours ago, Kay__ said:

I agree. US consulate in S.Korea, they re-schedule interview for ONLY cancelled CR-1 visa. Also some of other CR-1 interview resumed.

 

I am worried too. We are an F3 visa (family) and Trump stopped that immigration for now. Our interview was in March and was canceled 5 days before it from the consulate closing. we had our medicals done and everything our criminal checks expired in May and medicals are only good for 6 months and usually your visa expiration date is the same as the medicals so I have no idea if they will make us get all that again. It cost $1000 for 4 of us to get our medicals. It's very stressful not knowing anything. 

[Kay__ 7]

1 hour ago, MovingToFlorida said:

I am worried too. We are an F3 visa (family) and Trump stopped that immigration for now. Our interview was in March and was canceled 5 days before it from the consulate closing. we had our medicals done and everything our criminal checks expired in May and medicals are only good for 6 months and usually your visa expiration date is the same as the medicals so I have no idea if they will make us get all that again. It cost $1000 for 4 of us to get our medicals. It's very stressful not knowing anything. 

Criminal checks would be good for a year? Also Us canada border closure extend July..... 

Seriously, S.Korea consulate now schedule new DQ cases when approved in May. What is MTL doing now?

[DGF 730]

8 minutes ago, Kay__ said:

What is MTL doing now?

As restrictions are mostly set at a provincial level I think the embassy needs to consider the restrictions of all the provinces (esp. provincial travel restrictions) rather than just the country as a whole before announcing anything. I don't think this will stop them from being able to do CR1/IR1 interviews but I do think it'll take them a little bit to coordinate everything and ensure that applicants from all over the country are able to attend their medicals and interviews. 

[MovingToFlorida 71]

2 hours ago, Kay__ said:

Criminal checks would be good for a year? Also Us canada border closure extend July..... 

Seriously, S.Korea consulate now schedule new DQ cases when approved in May. What is MTL doing now?

Yes they are good for a year but from the time it took us to get our criminal checks to submit to NVC and for them to process and get to interview stage we had only 2 months left on them and now they've expired. They still would have been good when we were to have our interview. Yes border is closed but I think immigration is considered essential travel. Doesn't matter since family immigration is temporarily banned until Trump allows our visa type again. So even if the border opened we won't be able to go until he lifts that ban. 

 

We emailed MTL and they said they still don't have any updates and will contact us. 

[NikLR 13,227]

On 6/18/2020 at 2:03 PM, MovingToFlorida said:

Yes they are good for a year but from the time it took us to get our criminal checks to submit to NVC and for them to process and get to interview stage we had only 2 months left on them and now they've expired. They still would have been good when we were to have our interview. Yes border is closed but I think immigration is considered essential travel. Doesn't matter since family immigration is temporarily banned until Trump allows our visa type again. So even if the border opened we won't be able to go until he lifts that ban. 

 

We emailed MTL and they said they still don't have any updates and will contact us. 

It is highly unfortunate but you will need to get new ones, medicals if they're expired and police certs if they're over a year too.  That sucks! Im sorry. 

[MovingToFlorida 71]

On 6/20/2020 at 5:07 AM, NikLR said:

It is highly unfortunate but you will need to get new ones, medicals if they're expired and police certs if they're over a year too.  That sucks! Im sorry. 

Yeah I'm already expecting to have to get all that done again. I am over being upset about that and just want immigration allowed so we can get on with it soon. 

[MovingToFlorida 71]

I know the 60 day temp immigration ban is coming due (I think it started around April 23rd).

 

I also know Trump may extend it. What I don't know is which visa types were actually banned. I know greencard applicants and temp work visas were but I read in an article for family green cards applicants its only Greencard holders bringing in family but American citizens can still bring in family. 

 

I really want to know for sure if our visa type (F3) is one that was banned. We were 5 days away from our interview when it was canceled due to the pandemic. 

 

Anyone have an article Link that lists the specific visa types that were affected by the temporary ban? I can't find one.