Canada Post strike leaves U.S. visa applicant in limbo

A Canadian citizen who returned from the United States to apply for a special visa says she's now stranded in Ottawa due to the ongoing Canada Post strike.

Jocelyn Yu has been living and studying in the U.S. for nearly three years, and is due to start a new job in Washington, D.C.

First, she needs to obtain a G4 visa, which is required for employees of international organizations and can only be issued by U.S. embassies outside that country. Yu said she arrived in Ottawa two weeks ago to apply for the visa.

As part of the application process, Yu had to mail her Canadian passport to the embassy. 

"Canada Post was the only carrier the embassy accepted at the time of my application," Yu explained.

I'm paying out of pocket and it's been really hard. I keep extending my stay.- Jocelyn Yu

Shortly after she mailed her passport, some 55,000 Canada Post workers walked off the job Nov. 15 after failing to reach a contract agreement with their employer, shutting down mail service across the country. 

Yu has tried tracking her package, but said it still hasn't arrived at the U.S. Embassy.

• Canada Post strike leaves Canadians, foreign nationals stuck waiting for critical documents

"I keep refreshing," she told CBC on Tuesday. "Even up until this day, it says 'out for delivery,' which is ambiguous. And it's stressful to look at because you don't know where it is."

A spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa told CBC it's aware of the situation and advised visa applicants to select alternative delivery options during the strike.

"Visas cannot be picked up directly from the Consulate," the spokesperson confirmed in an emailed statement to CBC.

An expensive stay

Typically, the visa application process takes three to four business days. Due to the strike, however, applications have been stalled indefinitely and there's no way to know how soon the backlog will be cleared.

Yu's short trip to Ottawa has now nearly doubled in length and cost her nearly $2,800 for accommodation while she waits for her visa. Without her passport, she's unable to wait it out in the U.S.

"Right now, my mission is to cut the cost of hotel stays down," she said Tuesday. "I've been here for 14 days. I'm paying out of pocket and it's been really hard. I keep extending my stay."

Canada Post has confirmed that once the strike ends and operations resume, all mail and parcels in the system will be delivered on a first-in, first-out basis.

"However, the national strike will continue to impact service to Canadians well after the strike activity ends," Canada Post said in a statement to CBC.

Yu remains hopeful for a resolution to the strike, but said she's keeping her options open.

"I think the next step for me is maybe I'll have to apply for a new passport and start this whole visa process all over again, but that's also going to take a very long time," she said. 

The U.S. Embassy also advises U.S. citizens requiring passport renewals to use an alternative delivery method, and to include a self-addressed, prepaid envelope from that company with their application.