Just figured I’d put my timeline update in here for any that are silently tracking timelines:
-interview date for K1 visa on October 6, 2022 - PO verbally said approved but needed to submit a certified doc. 221g issued ONLY.
- doc arrived at third party document facility Oct 7th.
*** Doc was shipped from the US so I used FedEx hoping to get it in their hands before Thanksgiving on Oct 10th. Later I learned the facility only picks up on Mondays and Thursday’s anyways, so keep that in mind in case you are ever debating if you need to spend more on faster delivery (if using a different courier)
- Oct 13th: sent them email to inform them they it should have arrived.
- Oct 21st: reply from Montreal saying it takes a few days to reach them after it’s shipped and a generic reply saying once docs are received and review is complete, I’ll get further details.
*** they also said using a different courier may cause longer mail processing delays (it just didn’t make sense for us to use their courier unfortunately)
-Oct 27: emailed Montreal to see if they could at least confirm they have my document and that it’s not lost somewhere
- Nov 7: reply from consulate with a generic reply, and the same closing statement that I’ll receive more info once complete. The shot answer is no, they cannot.
- Nov 22: googled the address of the third party mail site and it came up as Clippers. We called them and had confirmation that the document was passed on to the embassy and in fact picked up.
- Nov 24: emailed them asking if I should just send another document with their courier and if they would be easier to process.
- Nov 29: status changed to application received
- Dec 5: sorta ignored my question BUT the closing statement now changed to “your passport and sealed visa packet will be returned to you as soon as the visa is issued” instead of the regular “we cannot predict when the processing of your visa will be compete blah blah blah.. we will contact you as soon as it’s complete”. This made me think it should be any day now..
-Dec 7th: status changed to application approved
- Dec 8th: status changed to issued in the morning
- tracking emailed on Dec 8th (few hours after status changed) and updated on the courier website.
- Dec 12 visa arrived in Vancouver BC literally as soon as the post office opened. Received an email that it was ready for pick up by 9:30am.
- Fiancé crossed at Blaine/Peace arch border and the border agents were SUPER nice. Went inside for 30 minutes while they went through the paperwork, didn’t even need to look through all the stuff in the cars (Canadian vehicle was not being imported at the time).
Total 9 weeks and 4 days until visa in hand (this included 2 holidays - Thanksgiving and Remembrance Day).
Glad to not be dealing with Montreal anymore and I’m wishing the best of luck to anyone else waiting on them!!! Hopefully this helps some other soul looking for a timeline, cause I was surely was!