Getting onto Congested Servers?

[Niwashi]

The block on getting onto congested servers includes paid transfers, so no, as long as it remains designated as "congested" you can't transfer there.

As to how long it's likely to remain that way, "until their active player populations have stabilized" is the only answer SE has given. There's no telling how long that might take. I wouldn't expect it to change any time soon, at any rate.

Any chance you could talk your friends into transferring off to join you instead? Or at least making an alt on your world and splitting their time between there and Balmung?