Blue 221g TAL check Ottawa

[joshh02]

Yeah, I collected it today at the consulate. It was interesting when I went to drop off my pp. The lady first greeted me saying: "So you want go and start your job quickly?" I said yes, and then she asked "where are you staying?", I replied: just drove from toronto and staying at a hotel here. not sure why, but she said: "Ok, to speed up the things, I will let you collect it directly from the consulate, so that you can avoid the delay at loomis". Couldn't thank her enough.

 

@all: Hang in there for 4-6 weeks and am sure you will receive the healing email to all your Canadian winter pains. Looking back, i feel the only mistake i did was worrying way more than required. But of course, it is not possible to stop worrying in these kind of situations. Just try to enjoy the break in which ever way you can.  

For all stuck here in winter...plan skiing and keep up the faith.

 

Thank you all for your empathetic views, and sharing in this forum is in itself a memory.

 

All the very best to everyone stuck in this somewhat frustrating and irritating situation. Just hang in there for 4-6 weeks, before hitting any [mild..] panic button. Good luck to all

 

Thanks Texan!

[Shrutidoshi]

Hello,

 

Just wanted to share some info:

The DOS number has been changed to 2024857600, however if you call the old number they redirect yourcall to the new number directly.

 

Thanks,

Shruti

[Gangavas]

Yeah, I collected it today at the consulate. It was interesting when I went to drop off my pp. The lady first greeted me saying: "So you want go and start your job quickly?" I said yes, and then she asked "where are you staying?", I replied: just drove from toronto and staying at a hotel here. not sure why, but she said: "Ok, to speed up the things, I will let you collect it directly from the consulate, so that you can avoid the delay at loomis". Couldn't thank her enough.

 

@all: Hang in there for 4-6 weeks and am sure you will receive the healing email to all your Canadian winter pains. Looking back, i feel the only mistake i did was worrying way more than required. But of course, it is not possible to stop worrying in these kind of situations. Just try to enjoy the break in which ever way you can.  

For all stuck here in winter...plan skiing and keep up the faith.

 

Thank you all for your empathetic views, and sharing in this forum is in itself a memory.

 

All the very best to everyone stuck in this somewhat frustrating and irritating situation. Just hang in there for 4-6 weeks, before hitting any [mild..] panic button. Good luck to all

Thank you Texan!

My date got updated to 31st OCT yesterday.

[Texan_221]

Finally Back in texas!! exactly after 42 days.

Here is the summary for everyone want to make predictions: 

 

Interview Date: 20th Sept 2013

Docs sent: 23rd Sept 2013

First Update on CEAC: 24th Sept 2013( Still Administrative Processing)

Second Update on CEAC: around noon on 28th Oct 2013( Still Administrative processing)

Email received: 28th Oct 2013 to submit pp in person between 8 and 11

Submitted PP on 29th Oct 2013

Received PP on 31st Oct 2013

 

Good Luck Everyone.

 

@Shruti: For your information, I called that number many times, and all they say is the status you see on ceac website, and they do not have any additional information. and a couple of times, the guy with half knowledge, told me that it might take on average 3 months, which made me slightly worried. Just so you know my experience.

[joshh02]

Thank you Texan!

My date got updated to 31st OCT yesterday.

 

you should get the approval email soon. Good luck! .. keep us posted.

[Gangavas]

Hey Guys, Got the email today to submit the passport.

[tb2297]

congrats gangavas. joshh02 what was your appointment date?

[joshh02]

congrats gangavas. joshh02 what was your appointment date?

 

My V.I was on October 8th. Is there anyone else on the thread whose V.I was before me and still hasn't received any update ? 

[Gangavas]

Interview Date: 25th Sept 2013

First Update on CEAC: 2nd Oct 2013( Still Administrative Processing)

Second Update on CEAC: around noon on 31st Oct 2013( Still Administrative processing)

Email received: 4th Nov 2013 to submit pp in person between 8 and 11

Submitted PP on 5th Nov 2013

[mmohankr]

Mohan,

When did the loomis get updated for you?

2 days. I dropped it Friday and received it Tuesday at Brampton. I'm glad you all got it :) Welcome back to US

[mmohankr]

 

Interview Date: 25th Sept 2013

First Update on CEAC: 2nd Oct 2013( Still Administrative Processing)

Second Update on CEAC: around noon on 31st Oct 2013( Still Administrative processing)

Email received: 4th Nov 2013 to submit pp in person between 8 and 11

Submitted PP on 5th Nov 2013

 

Congratulations Gangavas

[joshh02]

and finally received an email to drop passport

 

Visa Interview: Oct 8th 2013

Documents submitted, same date.

 

CEAC Update: Nov 5th 2013

Received email on today (Nov 6th 2013) to drop passport. 

 

Took 28 days for the decision. 

[Gangavas]

and finally received an email to drop passport

 

Visa Interview: Oct 8th 2013

Documents submitted, same date.

 

CEAC Update: Nov 5th 2013

Received email on today (Nov 6th 2013) to drop passport. 

 

Took 28 days for the decision. 

Thats Awesome man!! Congarts!! You are lucky to get it in 28days. We guys took a min of 40 days.

Anyways Guys had a ques. I submitted my passport yesterday (5th Nov) at 8.30 am. My CEAC website still says Admin process and I didn't receive any email from Loomis today. I was wondering when was your case updated and when did you receive the email from Loomis with the waybill no. 

[ravi6775]

congrats Josh! Gives some hope

[joshh02]

Thats Awesome man!! Congarts!! You are lucky to get it in 28days. We guys took a min of 40 days.

Anyways Guys had a ques. I submitted my passport yesterday (5th Nov) at 8.30 am. My CEAC website still says Admin process and I didn't receive any email from Loomis today. I was wondering when was your case updated and when did you receive the email from Loomis with the waybill no. 

on 3rd or 4th day after submitting passport is when you should see update on your CSC profile (us-visainfo..). Once your documents arrive at the loomis, waybill will be generated and you can see that on profile. Loomis also calls/emais for the same.

[areddy1234]

Hello All,

 

I received a 221g on 11/06/2013 at Ottawa and it says requires further review. VO kept the passport though (Does this means it is approved?), not sure how long it is going to take to process the application.

 

I got an email from embassy stating the following on the same day, and I have submitted all the requested docs via email. How long do they normally respond to these kind of cases. Do I need to go back to embassy with these docs? Also wondering why VO didnt asked for these docs during the interview. I carried them all with me.

 

I need to travel out of canada on some urgent issue, can I collect passport and come back to Ottawa once a decision is made on my application to have the visa stamped? If yes, what number do we call them to collect passport.

 

In order to finish processing your U.S. visa we need further information from you.  Would you please send us if possible, preferably by email the following information/documents:

 

1)      Your I-129, LCA, letter to USCIS, and any RFEs

2)      Last 12 months of pay statements and most recent W2

3)      A letter from your end client, if they do not provide such letters please provide a contact (phone and email) at your end client who can confirm your employment

 

Appreciate all your inputs.

 

Thanks,

Areddy

[Gangavas]

Hi Guys

 

Who ever is submitting the passport after 221g approval, please make sure you say to VO that you will pick up your passport at the Consulate rather than at requested loomis location. I am suffering with passport delays in my case because I forgot to request VO for Consulate pick up. I submitted the passport on Nov 5th (tues) and I didn't receive it yet. Got the loomis email on Friday evening at 6.00pm (loomis closes at 6.00pm) so have to pick it up only on Monday (Nov 11th).

[areddy1234]

Hello All,

 

I received a 221g on 11/06/2013 at Ottawa and it says requires further review. VO kept the passport though (Does this means it is approved?), not sure how long it is going to take to process the application.

 

I got an email from embassy stating the following on the same day, and I have submitted all the requested docs via email. How long do they normally respond to these kind of cases. Do I need to go back to embassy with these docs? Also wondering why VO didnt asked for these docs during the interview. I carried them all with me.

 

I need to travel out of canada on some urgent issue, can I collect passport and come back to Ottawa once a decision is made on my application to have the visa stamped? If yes, what number do we call them to collect passport.

 

In order to finish processing your U.S. visa we need further information from you.  Would you please send us if possible, preferably by email the following information/documents:

 

1)      Your I-129, LCA, letter to USCIS, and any RFEs

2)      Last 12 months of pay statements and most recent W2

3)      A letter from your end client, if they do not provide such letters please provide a contact (phone and email) at your end client who can confirm your employment

 

Appreciate all your inputs.

 

Thanks,

Areddy

Anyone who faced this situation, please through some light.

[joshh02]

Hi Guys

 

Who ever is submitting the passport after 221g approval, please make sure you say to VO that you will pick up your passport at the Consulate rather than at requested loomis location. I am suffering with passport delays in my case because I forgot to request VO for Consulate pick up. I submitted the passport on Nov 5th (tues) and I didn't receive it yet. Got the loomis email on Friday evening at 6.00pm (loomis closes at 6.00pm) so have to pick it up only on Monday (Nov 11th).

 

I requested that too when i submitted mine on Thursday, she said it should be available for pick up at Loomis on Nov 12th afternoon (I hope). But yeah no harm in trying, if works good otherwise no other option than just receiving it at the loomis.

[joshh02]

Hello All,

 

I received a 221g on 11/06/2013 at Ottawa and it says requires further review. VO kept the passport though (Does this means it is approved?), not sure how long it is going to take to process the application.

 

I got an email from embassy stating the following on the same day, and I have submitted all the requested docs via email. How long do they normally respond to these kind of cases. Do I need to go back to embassy with these docs? Also wondering why VO didnt asked for these docs during the interview. I carried them all with me.

 

I need to travel out of canada on some urgent issue, can I collect passport and come back to Ottawa once a decision is made on my application to have the visa stamped? If yes, what number do we call them to collect passport.

 

In order to finish processing your U.S. visa we need further information from you.  Would you please send us if possible, preferably by email the following information/documents:

 

1)      Your I-129, LCA, letter to USCIS, and any RFEs

2)      Last 12 months of pay statements and most recent W2

3)      A letter from your end client, if they do not provide such letters please provide a contact (phone and email) at your end client who can confirm your employment

 

Appreciate all your inputs.

 

Thanks,

Areddy

 

If you read all postings from this thread, you will found out that the average admin processing time is 4-6 weeks at Ottawa consulate. Since they normally send out email for submitting documents, you don't have to bring the documents again to the embassy. Did you get admin processing, and were handed out any letter?

I guess try calling the embassy number, explain them of your situation and may be they can help? At least no harm in trying.

[joshh02]

Hi Guys

 

Who ever is submitting the passport after 221g approval, please make sure you say to VO that you will pick up your passport at the Consulate rather than at requested loomis location. I am suffering with passport delays in my case because I forgot to request VO for Consulate pick up. I submitted the passport on Nov 5th (tues) and I didn't receive it yet. Got the loomis email on Friday evening at 6.00pm (loomis closes at 6.00pm) so have to pick it up only on Monday (Nov 11th).

 

Also just to mention, normally they say passport will be received at loomis on the 3rd day after submitting passport. You received an email on Friday which is indeed the third day.

 

I would say in general for everyone, right from when the VO issues admin processing, then it goes in the hands of consulate/government where they take regular processing time (4-8 weeks). We may receive in 4 weeks or 6 weeks, we can't say why. Rule of thumb is just relax and be patient. Don't keep calling any number of DOS or consulate since they can't help. In fact when you go for VI's at consulate, all the big screen display message "Relax, if you have been given admin processing". There is nothing an applicant can do to expedite. If the embassy needs any information, they will let you know. I read on other threads that they are making the whole excel spreadsheet for admin processing per location. Seriously? anyways...

 

Same thing with receiving passport from loomis, loomis has no role in passport delays. They would update you with some information as soon as the passport is received for you to collect. Even if loomis causes day or two delay, is the issue really big as compared to waiting for any update from consulate? Think about it..

 

I understand, that this causes frustration and pain from being stuck and staying away from the family which no one can imagine. But we can't be in panic mode and think too much about things which are not in our control. That will only cause fear.

 

Good luck to those who are waiting to be cleared. It will be done, just that it takes time. 

[joshh02]

Hi Guys

 

Who ever is submitting the passport after 221g approval, please make sure you say to VO that you will pick up your passport at the Consulate rather than at requested loomis location. I am suffering with passport delays in my case because I forgot to request VO for Consulate pick up. I submitted the passport on Nov 5th (tues) and I didn't receive it yet. Got the loomis email on Friday evening at 6.00pm (loomis closes at 6.00pm) so have to pick it up only on Monday (Nov 11th).

 

Gangavas: Did you get your passport? 

[stuck-in-canada]

I am in a very similar situation as many on this post, I analized the post from most of you and I concluded that between Jul and Oct 2013 for people only requiring CV and/or publication list with 221g blue slips the mean time was 44 days. one thing that puzzles me is that a lot of other posts talk about CEAC tracking, but I was not given any "CEAC tracking information" Im just sitting here depressed waiting, anybody else got the 221g blue on mid december in Ottawa like me (16?)

 

I think they had flagged me before I got there, the guy who received my documents asked about my status in Canada, the lady who was there taking my fingerprints said "oh" when she looked and the computer and the VO didnt seem to care what my answers were, but perhaps im just being paranoid

 

below is my analysis:

 

 

user

appointment

approval email

days

cviller

03-Jul

04-Sep

63

ottawavisah1b

26-Jul

12-Sep

48

snoopreddy

24-Jul

12-Sep

50

KrupaP

03-Sep

10-Oct

37

funkychap22

27-Aug

10-Oct

44

mmohankr

10-Sep

26-Oct

46

Texan_221

20-Sep

28-Oct

38

kmukh2

18-Sep

30-Oct

42

Gangavas

25-Sep

04-Nov

40

joshh02

08-Oct

05-Nov

28

visaottawa

28-Jun

?

 

tb2297

30-Oct

?

 

areddy1234

11/06/2014

?

             

average

43.6

 

[stuck-in-canada]

My Story of successful blue 221g in Ottawa (28 eight days to get email, 31 days to get home)

 

When I came in, the person who received my documents on the intake window asked me “what my status in Canada is” this was my second stamping in Ottawa and before they didn’t ask that, so already a bad sign…

Then I went to the fingerprint window, as I was getting fingerprinted the lady in the counter said
“oh” looking at the PC, I looked at her and she just said “go on” another sign that something was “flagged”

The VO asked me if my company was a pharmaceutical, I said no, I explained my line of work but he really didn’t seem to pay attention or care about my answers, he asked me what my degree and field of study and university, then gave me the blue form and told me to give him my resume and list of publications (which I had with me so I gave it to him) he told me that it could take “several months” and gave me my passport back, it felt like I was hit by a rock

The interview was Dec 16 (2013)

The first status update was January 9^th (for those of you who are not given a tracking number you can use the DS160 number on the CEAC website of state dept., I didn’t know that)

On January 14 I got the email to drop off in the embassy and there was another status update

On the 15^th I dropped the passport off and there was another status update (don’t know which was first), the lady said that she was going to make an exception and allow me to pick it up on the 17th

On 16^th it showed as “Issued”

Picket it up on the 17^th and now on my way home.

It seems this was a simple TAL check given they asked for my resume list of publications and gave me a blue slip like many people in this forum but there are also other issues that could had flag me, I list them here for people to take note

I had a previous I-94 overstay (yes, my stupid stupid mistake) In a trip I made abroad when I came back my passport was about to expire, I got a new passport in USA but failed to notice my I94 expiration was the same as my old passport’s expiration and I failed to get a new one. I had a new I797 and the lawyers had said the problem was solved but you never know if they flagged me because of that.

The engineering field that I work with  is focused in a very unusual technology, which is hard to explain to not technical people, maybe the bureaucrats at the embassy didn’t understand and just sent it back for checking, at first I tried to keep the explanation simple, but he kept asking me “exactly what, what is this used for” and so on

I am married to a US citizen. You might think if you are married to a US citizen why on earth are you renewing your H1B????? They could have thought so too, I just recently got married and wanted to have a valid visa before applying for a status change, which of course turned out to be a stupid stupid mistake because know I had to use all my vacation time and this looked really bad with my employer, luckily it was only one month, I also missed Christmas and new years with my wife

Hope this helps other people…. The moral of the story is: IF YOU EVER GET MARRIED TO A US CITIZEN DO NOT DELAY YOUR STATUS CHANGE!!! You might think like me to “not rush it and do things slowly and right” but it comes and bites you back…. Oh and another thing, I am South American, I don’t want to disclose the country but my country’s government is not very US friendly. Don’t think 221g’s only happen to Indians, Chinese or Mulsim countries (like I used to think), it happens to everyone!!!!

[visabuzz]

@

stuck-in-canada what is that that you have compiled above? is it for ottawa consulate?