Canucklehead

Thank you everyone for your advice! Much appreciated. Here is my timeline for those new to our forum: Feb 1, 2023 - Interview at Montreal (got denied and placed into AP) March 2, 2023 - Submitted DS-5535 documents June 27, 2024 - Montreal embassy requested my passport, CRC, medical and photos July 11, 2024 - I mailed documents to embassy July 29, 2024 - I picked up my passport from embassy Total time from interview to passport in hand - 17 months & 29 days I am REALLY, REALLY hoping that this recent movement we've been seeing with a lot of us is a sign that this sort of timeline will no longer be the norm.

Hey all, hoping someone can help me out with this. I just picked up my passport and visa yesterday and also received a letter asking me to pay the $220 USCIS Immigrant fee in order to get my green card. I understand this is a requirement, however I feel like during this application I was asked if I wanted to pay for green card in advance and I chose that option. I just can't remember when and where this happened since this process has now lasted almost 3 years lol. Does anyone know if we did have the option to already pay for green card somewhere along this application (I am IR1) or if I am mistaken and just need to pay it now? Cheers!

Picked up my passport with visa in it today! The turnaround from sending it in (July 11) to actually having it in hand was just under 3 weeks. Hoping this means that they have figured out a quicker way now/are focusing more on Family visas!

Just the courier responding it'd been received.

I submitted the passport back on July 11th and received confirmation it arrived on July 12th. Prior to this though it seemed like it was taking longer to get passport back, so hopefully this is a sign they are moving quicker!

I started getting unsolicited updates around mid June - I believe my first unsolicited update was around June 20th.

Hey there, sorry to hear how long you have been waiting! I interviewed in Feb 2023 and submitted documents in March 2023. I just received my tracking number so my passport is finally officially on the way! In all, I waited about 16 months to hear back that my visa had been issued. I understand you must be super frustrated, however at this timeline your WOM may take just as long as USCIS takes to issue your visa. From being on here for a long time, it seems like people like myself and @Irish89 to name a few have been hearing positive news and 16 months has been the longest it's taken to hear back. Obviously this decision comes down to you, but just food for thought.

You da real MVP 🏆

Yeah - sorry missed that one - they require 2 new passport photos as well!

Does anyone on here who has sent in their documents after passport request have the address they mailed their docs to? There is no specific address given in the email requesting documents... EDIT: Nevermind - there was a link in the email but you just need to sign in to the AIS - US visa website to find it.

This will be my first time updating it.

So we had updates in May and June that just corresponded to generic email responses, but then unsolicited on June 20, 21 and then today as well.

I did yes. The requested docs were: A medical Update Ds260 Passport Criminal record check

Wow! Literally right after posting I checked my email and was asked for passport and all documents! 🥳 Not getting too excited yet as still have some waiting and stuff to do but great feeling to finally get an update almost 16 months later!

I had a few yes. In regards to another post about the 1 year mark, I don't believe that's the case for me as I'm over 15 months from submission. Will keep everyone posted!

As a heads up to everyone, my status recently changed to Expiring Soon and the CEAC website said my visa had been canceled for not submitting in time. Obviously a very disappointing and frustrating message to get. However, it seems to potentially be a glitch in the system as others who got passport requests received the same update prior to being asked for passport. I'm hoping it is indeed just a glitch and I may be soon hearing back for passport too. Regardless, I have reached out to Montreal to let them know that I did indeed submit all documents and will keep you all updated as things go.

Gotcha, hopefully we both get it soon! 🤞

Apologies for confusion. I assumed if you got a criminal record check recently that you had been asked to send in your passport to Montreal, as you're right around same timeline as me. So you have your visa in passport now?

Did you also hear back for your passport recently?

I think outside of 1 person on here, no one has had their visa processed in over 6 months. No idea what the embassy or whoever is even processing this is doing. Absolutely shameful on them.

Well just got another standard response to an email asking about my case. At this point I am over 16 months since my interview (Feb 2023) and over 15 months (Mar 2023) since sending in documents. Absolutely no idea what they are doing to expedite this process. Whatever it is, clearly isn't working whatsoever.

For all those new here, I've been in AP for almost 15 months. I still have not been asked for anything whatsoever. I have zero criminal record and no reasonable reason why this should be happening, yet here we are. This system is broken and broken bad. More than likely you can expect at least a year and a half to even hear back anything. They do not care about you. At all. My advice as someone who has been here - seriously consider if you even want this. At this point I'm almost ready to just give up. I don't feel wanted by this country at all. I don't feel supported in any way from the embassy and I honestly regret that I've wasted so much of my life waiting for this. If I had known how long this would take, I truthfully never would have even bothered trying to move to the USA. Time with family members is worth so much more than the separation and pain that this process causes to so many people. People who would be upstanding and valuable members to US society. As I said, you do you, but don't expect to hear anything for a year and a half from your interview date. It's pessimistic but unfortunately realistic too. In the eyes of the US Immigration system, you are not special and nothing you do can speed this up. Emails don't work and neither do WOMs. It doesn't matter if you have kids or anything either. You are nothing but a number in an ever growing pile of bureaucratic BS.

No updates whatsoever.

Me too - it's already been over 14 months since my interview. 14 months that I could have been living with my spouse, moving forward with my career, building a life together. Instead I've spent 14 months not doing any of those things and that is time that I will NEVER get back. Honestly this entire process has been nothing short of needless emotional and mental torture.

What do you mean by it takes 12-14 months for a new medical request?