TranceMaster

Anything yet mate? Nothing for me and im meant to leave 2nd Sept 3500 quid down the drain, morons

crg

Those morons should have called you at home to remind you that your visa is expired and to apply sooner?



I do hope you get it in time, but you should have applied earlier and before purchasing tickets.

TranceMaster

For the money they charge, and shoddy service they give, yes they should have!

I purchased tickets 3 months in advance they won't let you apply without dates yet then tell you you shouldn't have booked dates! Clowns. How long does it take to open a file and click "yes"?

If I ran my business like their show I'd be out of business. Which probably explains why their country is going out of business. Their couldn't care less attitude and rude emails frankly suck.

Rant over

materialcontroller

You need to give them dates, but that doesn't mean you need to go ahead and buy tickets etc. I got a B2 tourist visa waiver of ineligibility last year without having definite travel dates sorted out, and I've applied for another one this year - again by only providing "provisional" travel dates. If you don't have definite travel times, you can give them a guesstimate.

It's always a good idea to apply for the visa/ waiver first; before committing to buying tickets. In my opinion even allowing three months in advance is hopelessly optimistic when the embassy says it can take upto 16 weeks or more for a waiver decision. Then, don't forget, you have to courier your passport to/ from the embassy for the waiver to be issued and that can take a further minimum of 2 weeks.

TranceMaster

Tell me about it. I naively thought I wouldn't even need an interview this time. Seeing as nothing had changed. Costly mistake.

Apfelkuchen

Did you get flight tickets that can be moved? There is usually an administrative fee for that, plus if the new flight is more expensive you pay the difference, but it would presumably cost a fair bit less than the amount you would lose if the tickets went down the drain.

TranceMaster

Well sort of. Travel agent is stating 300 quid each to change virgin flights, new internal flights cos there like ryanair non refundable and stating hotels are more expensive. So it's still like 1500 quid more. They won't let me park it so what date do I change it to? What happens if they deny my visa this time etc or the dates go by again.... Would the fact I've been harassing them by email ALOT effect my case? It really is a pain in the ass

Jonsie25

Did they say how long it would take at the interview at the embassy? As mentioned before they told me 2 months, I questioned to confirm as I thought it was 90 days and they said no 2 months.

As mentioned before keep me informed, I'm not expecting to hear anything until the end of September at the earliest

TranceMaster

She said 8 weeks. Then I emailed them and they said 8 weeks was realistic, now they are saying "16 weeks or more"

They are well aware of my situation and well aware on my intended travel date but all ive had is complete non commital from them. Disgusting.

Jonsie25

16 weeks, when did they say that? I'd be screwed if that happened to me as i'm applying for a business visa to work!

TranceMaster

This is a quote from a couple of emails they sent me...........


On the day of your interview you were given a refusal letter with instruction on what to expect while we process your application. The last paragraph on that sheet states…

Given the circumstances of your case, and based on the factors described above, we have decided to recommend a waiver of your ineligibility. If a consular supervisor agrees with this recommendation and DHS decides to grant your waiver, you will be issued a limited-validity visa. The current waiting period for these two agencies to consider your case is approximately 14-16 weeks. We will contact you by email to let you know the outcome of your case. If your visa is ultimately approved, we will ask you to submit your passport (DX Courier) for visa issuance. Given that there is no guarantee your waiver will be granted, we recommend you refrain from making any travel commitments until the visa has been issued and returned to you.





Please also see information below regarding Ineligibilities, available from the US Embassy Website: http://london.usembassy.gov/add_crime.html

Applicants who are found ineligible to receive a visa

If the conviction(s) results in the applicant being found permanently ineligible to receive a visa, it will mean a lifetime exclusion from the United States unless he or she obtains a waiver of the permanent ineligibility from the United States Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection (DHSCBP). The granting of a waiver is not automatic and is based on several factors, including nature of the crime committed, sentence served and the period of time which has elapsed since the conviction.

If a favorable recommendation is made to DHSCBP for a waiver of the permanent ineligibility, the application will take a minimum of sixteen weeks to process; some applications may take longer.

Please note: Delays in processing can and will occur. The processing times quoted are approximate and cannot be guaranteed. It is important that you keep this in mind when applying for the visa. It will not be possible to expedite a case simply because an applicant has not allowed sufficient time for the application to be processed.


They then followed up with this:-

The 8 weeks is a realistic timescale however as it is the peak of summer, we are currently experiencing a high demand for applications for US visas and obtaining waivers through The department of Homeland Security could be further delayed.

materialcontroller

And, respectfully, the reason why you're now in so much anguish is because you ignored/ overlooked probably the two most important pieces of information contained therein:

1) The current waiting period for these two agencies to consider your case is approximately 14-16 weeks and;

2) Given that there is no guarantee your waiver will be granted, we recommend you refrain from making any travel commitments until the visa has been issued and returned to you.

I really do wish you luck and hope your visa will be ready for you in time. However calling the embassy "morons" and railing about the inadequacies of the process will not resolve your situation any quicker.

TranceMaster

Thats as may be but the level of service is a joke.

I booked the holiday 3 months before, even before i started the interview process, I stupidly thought I wouldnt even need an interview, afterall if ive had a visa before and nothing has changed, just a 2 year older criminal record, what is there to consider?

I appreciate this is my **** up from something I did 20 years ago. No other country in the world has these rules that im aware of. The earth is not owned by anyone remember.....

They say honesty is the best poilcy, yet I could have quite easily got an ESTA and lied, so in this case honesty clearly is not the best policy because that honesty appears to have cost me £4000 and alot of stress.................

Then they wonder why there is immigration fraud!

Brilliant!

crg

They do a ton of students this time of year and that adds to the delays. Think of it as the opposite of a hospital emergency room. The worse shape you are in, the longer you have to wait.

A student missing the start of classes is a higher priority than someone with a police problem seeking special permission.

They need to make sure you've been good the last two years and check all of the records again. It would look bad if they gave you another waiver if you had a problem with the police on your last trip to the US.

TranceMaster

Yeh I guess.

Re last visa, I neber anctually went! Cos the visa ran out and I got new work.

They have my ACPO which is exactly the same as the last one I gave them, only dated 2.5 years later lol