How will Montreal get through the backlog?

[pooj97 89]

Hey everyone, I’m feeling so hopeless about this entire thing. After being long distance for 4 years we were so close to the end, got our NOA2, and boom, Covid hit. I know the Montreal consulate will have a huge backlog of cases once they finally reopen. Anyone have any ideas, rumors, anything at all for how they’ll deal with the backlog? Will it ironically go by quicker since the presidential proclamation has banned certain types of visas? Will they offer more interview slots? 
 

I’m trying to stay hopeful that my fiancé can be here by end of this year. If anyone can give me any hope at all, it would be great

[NikLR 13,227]

We have multiple threads on the consulates eventual reopening already. 

[Lucky2Lucky 2,526]

46 minutes ago, pooj97 said:

Hey everyone, I’m feeling so hopeless about this entire thing. After being long distance for 4 years we were so close to the end, got our NOA2, and boom, Covid hit. I know the Montreal consulate will have a huge backlog of cases once they finally reopen. Anyone have any ideas, rumors, anything at all for how they’ll deal with the backlog? Will it ironically go by quicker since the presidential proclamation has banned certain types of visas? Will they offer more interview slots? 
 

I’m trying to stay hopeful that my fiancé can be here by end of this year. If anyone can give me any hope at all, it would be great

I understand that Montreal is specific to you but the entire world has/will have a backlog.

[Crazy Cat 41,921]

1 hour ago, pooj97 said:

Hey everyone, I’m feeling so hopeless about this entire thing. After being long distance for 4 years we were so close to the end, got our NOA2, and boom, Covid hit. I know the Montreal consulate will have a huge backlog of cases once they finally reopen. Anyone have any ideas, rumors, anything at all for how they’ll deal with the backlog? Will it ironically go by quicker since the presidential proclamation has banned certain types of visas? Will they offer more interview slots? 
 

I’m trying to stay hopeful that my fiancé can be here by end of this year. If anyone can give me any hope at all, it would be great

Hopeless?  After only 6 months in the process?  Many of us had to be separated from our spouses for more than a year during this process.   This process requires a great deal of knowledge, planning, time, PATIENCE, and money.  I am aware that the waiting is the tough part of the process, but aren't planes still flying between the US and Canada?  Now, is the time for patience....good luck.  Hopefully, you will interview soon.

Edited July 19, 2020 by Lucky Cat

[pooj97 89]

3 minutes ago, Lucky Cat said:

Hopeless?  After only 6 months in the process?  Many of us had to be separated from our spouses for more than a year during this process.   This process requires a great deal of knowledge, planning, time, PATIENCE, and money.  I am aware that the waiting is the tough part of the process, but aren't planes still flying between the US and Canada?  Now, is the time for patience....good luck.  Hopefully, you will interview soon.

6 months in the process but we've been long distance for 5 years before that when we were students in university. We couldn't apply for the process then since we were both studying. I applied for him to come here as soon as we graduated. Please don't judge if you don't know the whole story. 

Edited July 19, 2020 by pooj97

[Crazy Cat 41,921]

4 minutes ago, pooj97 said:

6 months in the process but we've been long distance for 5 years before that when we were students and we couldn't apply for the process since we were both studying. Please don't judge if you don't know the whole story. 

I'm not judging.......I'm being realistic. You can visit during the process.....no reason to feel hopeless.

 

BTW:  My wife and I had been married and living together for almost a year in Taiwan before the immigration process separated us for more than another year.  I know all about be away form family.

Edited July 19, 2020 by Lucky Cat

[pooj97 89]

8 minutes ago, Lucky Cat said:

I'm not judging.......I'm being realistic. You can visit during the process.....no reason to feel hopeless.

 

BTW:  My wife and I had been married and living together for almost a year in Taiwan before the immigration process separated us for more than another year.  I know all about be away form family.

Yeah, we're thinking about visiting now; it was just hard before Covid for fiances to enter and now post-Covid, it'll probably be even harder. Hopefully embassies reopen and things work out for both of us.

[JeanneAdil 6,514]

2 hours ago, pooj97 said:

Hey everyone, I’m feeling so hopeless about this entire thing. After being long distance for 4 years we were so close to the end, got our NOA2, and boom, Covid hit. I know the Montreal consula e will have a huge backlog of cases once they finally reopen. Anyone have any ideas, rumors, anything at all for how they’ll deal with the backlog? Will it ironically go by quicker since the presidential proclamation has banned certain types of visas? Will they offer more interview slots? 
 

I’m trying to stay hopeful that my fiancé can be here by end of this year. If anyone can give me any hope at all, it would be great

I may be wrong but i believe the consulate will still interview for all visa types (meaning interview slots will not open up )/ they just will put into AP people who can not travel at this time /for countries that do have dv lottery who knows what will happen / i know Canada is not part of that but i say it here to address all readers

Hopefully they will interview the ones who have been cancelled first and then schedule the spouse visas pending at NVC 

Edited July 19, 2020 by JeanneAdil

[DGF 730]

We've been long distance for almost 7 years and were next in line for getting an interview date after a 4 month wait when covid hit so I know the frustration. However, Montreal is not a particularly empathetic consulate so I wouldn't expect them to go out of their way to fix the backlog. In fact, if they handle it the same way they handled/are handling (since it still exists) the backlog from stopping spousal visa interviews last summer, they won't do anything to make up for it. The presidential proclamation may result in things moving quicker, but social distancing requirements could slow it down enough that any additional benefit from the EO is negated. I could be wrong, I hope I am, but I wouldn't get my hopes up.

 

Thankfully your fiance is towards the beginning of the backlog and not the end so it should be relatively quick to get an interview once they restart.

Edited July 19, 2020 by DGF

[SalishSea 17,865]

7 hours ago, pooj97 said:

Will they offer more interview slots? 

Unlikely, unless they hire more embassy staff.  

[NoName70 22]

It could be anything from putting in more slots to being same as it was before and just let people wait for their interviews. 
Hoping for the best post-Covid plan from MTL!!

[eddie90 31]

It may sound discouraging but several people are waiting at Montreal consulate for more than a year. 

Edited July 20, 2020 by eddie90

[Jay&Sid 211]

It is so depressing to see the backlog of MTL.

Unfortunately, many immigration categories are banned under presidential executive order.

This could speed up scheduling process of spousal visa interviews at MTL.

[Jay&Sid 211]

On 7/19/2020 at 2:43 PM, Jorgedig said:

Unlikely, unless they hire more embassy staff.  

Ideally they should come up with some solution to resolve this backlog.

Continuous improvement is a key to move forward efficiently.

[SalishSea 17,865]

1 hour ago, Jay&Sid said:

Ideally they should come up with some solution to resolve this backlog.

Continuous improvement is a key to move forward efficiently.

Yes, but this is the federal government, approaching the end of their fiscal/budget year.    They will slog through the backlog like they always do.  Backlogs are not new to US immigration, by any means.