Calling all 221g in Ottawa

[sureshbabu]

Hi Guys,

Below is my interview timeline. Waiting to hear from the embassy. 

1. Interview date & Time: Sep 23 2016 

2. Case created / Status update:  Sep 23 2016

3. # of working days so far: 15

4. Consulate kept any docs : CV

5. Consulate asked any additional information: No

5. Consulate kept Passport : No

6. Color of 221g : BLUE

[Aarthi99]

Hello,

Below is my interview timeline. Waiting to hear from the embassy. 

1. Interview date & Time: Oct 14th 2016 

2. Case created / Status update:  Oct 14th 2016

3. # of working days so far: 2 

4. Consulate kept any docs : DS-160 Confirmation page & End Client Letter

5. Consulate asked any additional information: No

5. Consulate kept Passport : No

6. Color of 221g : WHITE

 

[Sai13]

1)  Interview date & Time: 17th Oct 10;45 am

2. Case created / Status update:   14th Oct 2016

3. # of working days so far: 1 days

4. Consulate kept any docs : None

5. Consulate kept Passport : No

6. VO comment: We need to do additional processing and it will take 2-3 weeks

7. Color of 221g : White

8. Any other info would like to share: Only 1 question asked. What work do you do? That's it.

9. Still in CANADA ?? Yes

[Shawshank]

1. Interview date & Time: Oct 13th 2016

2. Case created / Status update:  oct 11 /oct 13

3. # of working days so far: 4

4. Consulate kept any docs : Resume

5. Consulate asked any additional information: No

6. Consulate kept Passport : No

7. VO comment: We need to do additional processing like we did before in 2013. It can take 3 weeks or 3 months. Hence, I will return your passport to you

7. Color of 221g : Blue

8. Any other info would like to share:  Took 15-18 working days to get my previous clearance in Chennai. The visa was issued only for 2 years from the date clearance was received.

9. Still in CANADA ?? Yes

[biodallas]

1. Interview date & Time: 4th Oct

2. Case created / Status update:   4th Oct

3. # of working days so far: 10 days

4. Consulate kept any docs : Asked to email CV

5. Consulate kept Passport : NO

6. VO comment: We need to do additional processing and it will take 2-3 weeks

7. Color of 221g : BLUE

8. Any other info would like to share: I am applying for H4 visa along with my spouse, her H1 was approved but mine was put in processing

9. Still in CANADA : Yes

[RoSogolla_221g]

On ‎10‎/‎13‎/‎2016 at 10:50 AM, sukhdeep said:

1. Interview date & Time: 15th Sep 9am

2. Case created / Status update:   15th Sep

3. # of working days so far: 19 days

4. Consulate kept any docs : Resume

5. Consulate kept Passport : NO

6. VO comment: We need to do additional processing,  about your studies and research publications and it will take 2-3 weeks

7. Color of 221g : YELLOW

8. Any other info would like to share: Got my first email on Oct 6 to submit passport and docs. Status date changed on Oct7, again status date changed on Oct 11. On Oct 12, status changed to ready for 1 hour then back to AP.On Oct 13 morning, status changed to issued. Hoping to get my passport back by Oct 14.

9. Still in CANADA ?? YES

Sukhdeep, any update on your case? You are well over 1 month now, so if you got yours, that hopefully means it takes less than 1 month. Please let us know.

[biodallas]

Hi everybody,

Did any of you talk to an Attorney regarding this? Is there anything they can do to help with this?

[RoSogolla_221g]

7 hours ago, biodallas said:

Hi everybody,

Did any of you talk to an Attorney regarding this? Is there anything they can do to help with this?

Short answer is that - No they cannot help. Some folks say to contact Congressman etc, but none of these things can help.

You can check the forums, posts, or talk to attorney. I had talked to my attorney now (and had checked in past with multiple resources too). it is just a bad time consuming process and takes it course. Really the thing is that how slow the clearance checks are. Sometimes they speed up and you see people responding 10-14 days. Others take longer.

[RoSogolla_221g]

Some information to refresh, but most of you may already know this:

From a timeline perspective, a large majority of cases clear in 14 days or less approx. (others in 14-30, 30-60 etc. extreme cases are > 120 days). But I think that is not from your interview date, but when the review request is received by the agency(s). So I would content that it is perhaps 1 day for interview. Then delay in sending inquiry (which is why people say Canada is faster than India). Then your "up to" 14 day period* . Then response received. visa issued. So with an efficient consulate, you would expect a response in 2-3 weeks, provided the clearance was done faster. In the best case, if the 14day period is calendar days, you are still looking at about 2-3 weeks of processing (which is what many VOs state). If that 14 days extends t0 14-30, you see what is going on right now from Sept 2016 to present, where I estimate that TAL cases are 4-5 weeks out (from interview date to the time you receive your passport with visa stamped)**.

Overall, please keep posting. A lot of people are consumers here, but no one wants to contribute when they get their visa. Yes you want to go home, so did the person who posted when you read. Please take a min and post some relevant data for others.

* (unsure business or calendar days, but assuming it is calendar days, since govt agencies like USCIS use that concept for Prem processing. Yes it is an opinion and you can take your own pick if that makes you feel better, I am just picking something that I felt logical to me).

** I am basing this model on multiple data sources across different posts/consulates. Your timeframe may vary and I would love to get more concrete information if possible to adjust this model.

[biodallas]

15 hours ago, RoSogolla_221g said:

Short answer is that - No they cannot help. Some folks say to contact Congressman etc, but none of these things can help.

You can check the forums, posts, or talk to attorney. I had talked to my attorney now (and had checked in past with multiple resources too). it is just a bad time consuming process and takes it course. Really the thing is that how slow the clearance checks are. Sometimes they speed up and you see people responding 10-14 days. Others take longer.

Thanks!

[RoSogolla_221g]

On ‎10‎/‎17‎/‎2016 at 11:51 AM, Sai13 said:

1)  Interview date & Time: 17th Oct 10;45 am

2. Case created / Status update:   14th Oct 2016

3. # of working days so far: 1 days

4. Consulate kept any docs : None

5. Consulate kept Passport : No

6. VO comment: We need to do additional processing and it will take 2-3 weeks

7. Color of 221g : White

8. Any other info would like to share: Only 1 question asked. What work do you do? That's it.

9. Still in CANADA ?? Yes

Did you get it ever before? Did he ask for resume/publication? Background - masters/PhD? Area?

[RoSogolla_221g]

On ‎10‎/‎17‎/‎2016 at 11:25 AM, Aarthi99 said:

Hello,

Below is my interview timeline. Waiting to hear from the embassy. 

1. Interview date & Time: Oct 14th 2016 

2. Case created / Status update:  Oct 14th 2016

3. # of working days so far: 2 

4. Consulate kept any docs : DS-160 Confirmation page & End Client Letter

5. Consulate asked any additional information: No

5. Consulate kept Passport : No

6. Color of 221g : WHITE

 

Did you get yours or any other updates? Hopefully you should be getting it in a week or so (5-6 working days) provided they were able to reach out to your client/employer if the needed to and got the response. Check with your employer/client to see if they have received any email.

[kumar1128]

Anyone with PIMS issue here? VO told me it will take 3-4 business days. In 2014 also i had the same PIMS issue from the same Ottawa embassy and i got it in 4 days.

[RoSogolla_221g]

On ‎7‎/‎26‎/‎2016 at 9:21 AM, Parker said:

Update from my side.... Jest Received Passport request ( Interview Date July 7th - PP request date July 26th - 221g Blue with resume taken ) Will update once I submit and receive. 

Parker, yours was in July, but can you answer the following

1. Was your validity 2 years (in accordance with TAL clearance).

2. How long did it take to get your passport back.

[biodallas]

Add your case and track others here:

http://www.checkee.info/index.php

[Aarthi99]

21 hours ago, RoSogolla_221g said:

Did you get yours or any other updates? Hopefully you should be getting it in a week or so (5-6 working days) provided they were able to reach out to your client/employer if the needed to and got the response. Check with your employer/client to see if they have received any email.

@RoSogolla_221g As of now, there is no response from the consulate:( One week passed already. 

[sureshbabu]

My status update date changed to today Oct 21 after 20 business days.

[RoSogolla_221g]

2 hours ago, Aarthi99 said:

@RoSogolla_221g As of now, there is no response from the consulate:( One week passed already. 

Yours is more of client verification/employment verification case. (I am pretty sure yours is not TAL, which is good news). Have you contacted your employer/client to see if they got any request/email from the consulate? If yes, when did they respond. If they have, it is important that they respond ASAP.

[biodallas]

Folks!!! I just got an email (5mins ago) from Embassy to submit my passport. Oct 4th was my interview date. Just want to quickly give an update. Will come back and give more details once I get my passport to the embassy.

[RoSogolla_221g]

Folks stuck in 221G due to TAL in Ottawa, here is an estimation model.

I have been collecting some information across forums to come up with a timeline estimation. Have tried on a few cases and it predicted a decent range (sorry no guarantees).

To find your range based on last few months of pattern do the following.

1. Note your date of interview.

2. Add 15 days for best case and 20 days for worst case. Add any holidays (Canada Thanksgiving/Columbus day). This accounts for working days only. This addition already accounts for your day of interview.

3. Based on your date and the weeks spanned in Step #2, add the number of days for the weekends.

4. The two dates are the estimates of the range when you should see a date change for the first time in CEAC status.

5. Depending on whether they kept the passport (add 2-3 days) or you need to submit your passport (3-5 days), add these passport return times.

For example:

1. Interview on Oct 14th.

2. Add 15 gives me Oct 29th. Add 20 gives me Nov 3.

3. Add 6 days of weekends (Oct 15-16, 22,-23, and 29-30) for best case, gives Nov 4th. For the latter case, add 8 (add 6 as best case, but also add 2 for Nov 5-6 weekend, since you will go into next week. That gives you  Nov 11.

4. So you should see your status change in CEAC between Nov 4th to Nov 11th. This is pretty much the time to get your clearance.

5. So for best case, if they kept your passport, you should be getting passport on Nov 8th to 9th. For the latter case, Nov 16 to 18th.

 

Notes:

1. If you start seeing people getting the date changes sooner, then likely the clearance has speed up (or vise versa). Adjust step 2 accordingly.

2. This is an empirical model, so things can change and this isn't a prophecy.

3. Yes this is basic math, but there is usually a lot of confusion around calendar days, working days, which dates are inclusive etc. This should help address some of that ambiguity.

 

[kumar1128]

My status was changed to AP on Oct 18th and my wife's status is changed to AP on today Oct 21 and my status remains same AP.

[biodallas]

On 10/18/2016 at 11:55 AM, biodallas said:

1. Interview date & Time: 4th Oct

2. Case created / Status update:   4th Oct

3. # of working days so far: 10 days

4. Consulate kept any docs : Asked to email CV

5. Consulate kept Passport : NO

6. VO comment: We need to do additional processing and it will take 2-3 weeks

7. Color of 221g : BLUE

8. Any other info would like to share: I am applying for H4 visa along with my spouse, her H1 was approved but mine was put in processing

9. Still in CANADA : Yes

Update: I got email today to submit passport. It is past feasible time to do so today, so I will be doing that on Monday. I will post a final update once I get passport in my hand.

[RoSogolla_221g]

 

[kumar1128]

I just checked my status in CEAC website and it says ISSUED. 

[RoSogolla_221g]

35 minutes ago, kumar1128 said:

I just checked my status in CEAC website and it says ISSUED. 

Congratulations!!! Can you post the timeline from now till when you received to give a better idea on postal timeframe.