IR1 / CR1 - Montreal Timeline to Interview

[Canadiandggal 49]

Yeah I think It is the EP people that get the email, I got the email for My sons and Mine, we did Ep althoigh due to our RFE it was longer then the regular way hehe

[mtlgato 2]

Yeah I think It is the EP people that get the email, I got the email for My sons and Mine, we did Ep althoigh due to our RFE it was longer then the regular way hehe

Well, at least this theory helps me feel that it's not totally random who they bother to email and who they don't bother to email...

On another subject...

What are we all thinking re: the probability of a whole cluster of October interviews?

Who here thinks there will be a bunch of October interviews? Who thinks that, yet again, we'll get another month with no or very few interviews scheduled?

c.

[Canadiandggal 49]

I am kind of out of hope here but I really am praying that we all hear some October interviews soon and yes i think when they start there will be a bunch of them. I know I am behind about 5 people to my knowledge so once you guys hear I will sit glued to my email till i hear something.If we don't hear something soon and don't get a date till November More than one government official will be hearing from me, I mean its already been far too long for most of us, but November I think would just be ridiculous. I hope that they give you a date that fits for you mtlgato, I hope you deliver on time

[Craig-n-Jacquie 0]

A cluster of CR! interviews would be great...pray...pray....pray

Yes I am believing for an October interview.

May people certainly deserve an interview after this long wait...five months should be long enough

[petshop 0]

Well, at least this theory helps me feel that it's not totally random who they bother to email and who they don't bother to email...

On another subject...

What are we all thinking re: the probability of a whole cluster of October interviews?

Who here thinks there will be a bunch of October interviews? Who thinks that, yet again, we'll get another month with no or very few interviews scheduled?

c.

Well, I am with my good friend Canadiandggal on this . . . LOL! I am hopeful that we will get a bunch of October interviews, but if we, the "May completes" don't hear anything by September 13-14, then it doesn't look too good for us that we would get an October date. Yeah, Devon, I agree, November would be rather ridiculous. November would be 6 months from our completion dates.

They have scheduled K-1's, then the DCF CR-1's, so I am hoping it would be our turn next . . . sometimes I feel like they have put us on the back burner or "forgotten" us . . . the whole bunch of us!!

So, here's to hanging in there for another 2 weeks and hope for the best.

And when you get that email, let us all know ASAP . . . it would give the rest of us hope that things are finally moving for us CR-1's.

Cheers,

petshop

[mtlgato 2]

They have scheduled K-1's, then the DCF CR-1's, so I am hoping it would be our turn next . . . sometimes I feel like they have put us on the back burner or "forgotten" us . . . the whole bunch of us!!

Yeah...I know it's kind of paranoid...but sometimes I feel like they must have just decided not to bother processing CR1/IR1 cases AT ALL...And if they did decide just to stop working on our cases, is there anything anyone could do? I'm starting to think not...

C.

[Jeremy&Kathy 4]

Ok, I have heard some of you were able to cross the border and visit your US citizen spouse while you were waiting for your interviews. My Canadian wife is now planning to do this as well. We are very nervous about how she might be questioned at the border, or worst case, she'll be denied entry and we'll have wasted the money on the plane ticket.

Those of you who did this successfully, I have some questions. When you approached the customs officer and presented your passport, what did you tell them? Were you up front about the fact that you had a pending immigration case, or did you just say "I'm going to visit my husband/wife in the US". What questions were you asked? Did they want proof that you were not going to stay there?

Anything at all you can share that could help us prepare for the day of her flight would be very much appreciated.

Jeremy

[Flames9_RN 358]

Ok, I have heard some of you were able to cross the border and visit your US citizen spouse while you were waiting for your interviews. My Canadian wife is now planning to do this as well. We are very nervous about how she might be questioned at the border, or worst case, she'll be denied entry and we'll have wasted the money on the plane ticket.

Those of you who did this successfully, I have some questions. When you approached the customs officer and presented your passport, what did you tell them? Were you up front about the fact that you had a pending immigration case, or did you just say "I'm going to visit my husband/wife in the US". What questions were you asked? Did they want proof that you were not going to stay there?

Anything at all you can share that could help us prepare for the day of her flight would be very much appreciated.

Jeremy

The #1 question asked in the cdn forum!! lol Look at my signature below for my advice!!

[AB2CO 1]

Ok, I have heard some of you were able to cross the border and visit your US citizen spouse while you were waiting for your interviews. My Canadian wife is now planning to do this as well. We are very nervous about how she might be questioned at the border, or worst case, she'll be denied entry and we'll have wasted the money on the plane ticket.

Those of you who did this successfully, I have some questions. When you approached the customs officer and presented your passport, what did you tell them? Were you up front about the fact that you had a pending immigration case, or did you just say "I'm going to visit my husband/wife in the US". What questions were you asked? Did they want proof that you were not going to stay there?

Anything at all you can share that could help us prepare for the day of her flight would be very much appreciated.

Jeremy

We filed our I-130 back in mid-November 2009. I had heard about the possibility of being denied entry after filing, so I was rather nervous about traveling down to visit my wife too. I first fly down just a few days after filing (for US Thanksgiving) . . . I just said I was going down for a vacation (which of course was totally true) and I breezed through. So I put that down to my visa application not being "in the system" yet.

Next visit was for Christmas, and I was more nervous . . . I assumed that the CBP must have a notation would alert them to my pending application when they scanned my passport (I now don't think they do) . . . again I breezed through. I have now made 8 or 9 visits (all flying out of the Calgary airport) and have had absolutely no trouble. Sometimes it has been as brief as "Where are you going?" and "Have a nice trip". There have been a couple of occassions when the conversation was a bit longer and I said I was visiting my US wife . . . never seems to be a problem. Only once have I been asked about my immigration status and I said I had a green card application in process and that seemed to be fine. So, in spite of my initial apprehensions, I have not had any problems at all travelling to the US with the CR-1 in process. In fact, I would say I probably get as many or more questions returning to Canada (not about immigration of course) than I do heading down to the US!

So based on my experience, I would say you have nothing to worry about . . . but I guess it may depend on the CBP officer you encounter . . . YMMV.

Good luck . . . I hope all goes well for you.

Edited August 29, 2010 by AB2CO

[zenaxe 22]

I didn't get the email either. When I called the NVC, they said they don't send out an email when the case is completed. Maybe this is only for people who did electronic filing like zenaxe? I really don't know. All I know is that the AVR system says my case is complete, and all the NVC operators I have talked to over the past 2-3 months confirm (after looking at the screen) that my case is complete . . . and that "everything is set to go!"

Well, it has been 14 weeks since my case completed . . . hopefully all the "May" people will hear soon . . . perhaps the week after Labor Day? LOL! Ha ha . . . hope that would be so . . . we've waited far too long . . .

Cheers,

petshop

Yes, the email notification is for the electronic processing. Any applicant using non EP would be notified by mail I assume.

Good luck to everyone waiting. I really hope you guys here soon. This is nuts and it's so hard having to wait. There has got to be movement at MTl, man alive are they ever slow right now.

Take care

[mtlgato 2]

Yes, the email notification is for the electronic processing. Any applicant using non EP would be notified by mail I assume.

Good luck to everyone waiting. I really hope you guys here soon. This is nuts and it's so hard having to wait. There has got to be movement at MTl, man alive are they ever slow right now.

Take care

Actually, non-EP people are not notified of "case-complete at NVC" at all. We just have to call and check with an operator or with the automated voice thingy. At least, that's how it was for me.

I'm glad you agree that Montreal is being phenomenally slow now. It's really something, isn't it?

C.

[Jeremy&Kathy 4]

The train is moving again! Interview was scheduled for Shewolf today. I have updated the timeline spreadsheet:

https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AoHUzXDIb8k7dHkzeldWSHFTdHY1ak1KR0RVWmhNaVE&hl=en&authkey=CKnQx7gC

Angie 'n Mark were approved at their interview on the 25th and their review has some good tips:

http://www.visajourney.com/timeline/profile.php?id=73450

Jeremy

[NBtoPitt 2]

Yay! Hope to hear a lot more news like this!

[mtlgato 2]

Oh....my....goodness. I just got my interview letter. October 8th, 9am.

Thing is, I'm due to give birth around October 3rd!!!!

What do I do? I can't guarantee that the baby will arrive right on time; it might not even be born by the 8th. If I reschedule, I'm afraid they'll TOTALLY screw me over and make me wait another 8 months.

And I live in Vancouver, so it's not like a short journey to Mtl at all. And they KNOW about my due date. They have a medical note on file, and I wrote to remind them about it recently. I think this is really messed up. I'm actually very upset.

C.

The train is moving again! Interview was scheduled for Shewolf today. I have updated the timeline spreadsheet:

https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AoHUzXDIb8k7dHkzeldWSHFTdHY1ak1KR0RVWmhNaVE&hl=en&authkey=CKnQx7gC

Angie 'n Mark were approved at their interview on the 25th and their review has some good tips:

http://www.visajourney.com/timeline/profile.php?id=73450

Jeremy

[NBtoPitt 2]

If I was in yout situation, I'd probably be so desperate that I'd ask to be induced a few days early to give a lilittle over a week to recover from the birth afterward and find family to sit for a day or two. It sounds ridiculous, but... I guess that's what this process has done to me. I'm sorry you're in this situation, and I wish I could be more helpful