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Spouse Visa Timeline - London

Spouse Visa Timeline - London

Old Jan 25th 2008, 9:40 pm
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Default Spouse Visa Timeline - London

Hi,

My wife is a USC, and we've been married over 5 years. She moved over to the UK after our wedding but we've since decided to move back to New Jersey. My wife filed a petition for a spouse immigrant visa to the US Embassy Immigrant Visa Unit in London in December 2006 - this was approved in mid-2007. So in August 2007 I sent off the completed Checklist confirming I'm ready for an interview. Since then I've got hold of all the documents and have had the medical. But there's been no news at all from the IVU in London.

Does anyone know what current timelines are for the interview invitation? And is there any way of contacting the Embassy to find out what's going on?

Thanks for any help you can give!

Cheers, misterb
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Old Jan 25th 2008, 9:45 pm
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Default Re: Spouse Visa Timeline - London

Originally Posted by misterb
Hi,

My wife is a USC, and we've been married over 5 years. She moved over to the UK after our wedding but we've since decided to move back to New Jersey. My wife filed a petition for a spouse immigrant visa to the US Embassy Immigrant Visa Unit in London in December 2006 - this was approved in mid-2007. So in August 2007 I sent off the completed Checklist confirming I'm ready for an interview. Since then I've got hold of all the documents and have had the medical. But there's been no news at all from the IVU in London.

Does anyone know what current timelines are for the interview invitation? And is there any way of contacting the Embassy to find out what's going on?

Thanks for any help you can give!

Cheers, misterb
Seems to me you should have had the interview by now. Most people get an interview notice within a few weeks after sending in the checklist, for an interview date a month or two later.

I don't know how to get in touch with the embassy, but you need to do so!

Rene
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Old Jan 25th 2008, 10:05 pm
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Default Re: Spouse Visa Timeline - London

ok thanks. the embassy does contain the following faq and answer:

"I sent in my completed forms to the Immigrant Visa Unit, when will I be scheduled an appointment for my interview?

There is currently a back-log in the Immigrant Visa Unit of forms and applications waiting to be processed. If you have submitted the completed forms in connection with the administrative processing of your application, you should allow approximately three months for your case to be processed. During this period, we regret we cannot provide information on the status of the application or confirm if the forms have been received. On completion of the administrative processing of the application, you will receive notification of the scheduled visa interview.
"

i figured maybe my application was just taking a bit longer than the three months mentioned above. but from what you say perhaps something else is going on here!
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Old Jan 25th 2008, 10:19 pm
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Default Re: Spouse Visa Timeline - London

Originally Posted by misterb
Hi,

My wife is a USC, and we've been married over 5 years. She moved over to the UK after our wedding but we've since decided to move back to New Jersey. My wife filed a petition for a spouse immigrant visa to the US Embassy Immigrant Visa Unit in London in December 2006 - this was approved in mid-2007. So in August 2007 I sent off the completed Checklist confirming I'm ready for an interview. Since then I've got hold of all the documents and have had the medical. But there's been no news at all from the IVU in London.

Does anyone know what current timelines are for the interview invitation? And is there any way of contacting the Embassy to find out what's going on?

Thanks for any help you can give!

Cheers, misterb
That definitely does not sound right.

How did you send in the checklist before you had all your documents in hand?
Any chance you've moved or had other mail go astray?

You will want to follow up on this so your I-130 approval does not go stale. TRY this email; no promises!

[email protected]
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Old Jan 25th 2008, 11:10 pm
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Default Re: Spouse Visa Timeline - London

Originally Posted by misterb
i figured maybe my application was just taking a bit longer than the three months mentioned above. but from what you say perhaps something else is going on here!
Your wife should consider becoming a UK citizen if she qualifies. It might make it much easier for you both if plans change at some point in the future.

Ian
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Old Jan 26th 2008, 6:33 am
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Default Re: Spouse Visa Timeline - London

Originally Posted by meauxna
That definitely does not sound right.

How did you send in the checklist before you had all your documents in hand?
Any chance you've moved or had other mail go astray?

You will want to follow up on this so your I-130 approval does not go stale. TRY this email; no promises!

[email protected]
thanks for the tip to try [email protected]. unfortunately i just got an automated reply saying my email had been deleted and was not going to be read. looks like the only other option is to call the embassy on their $2.40 per minute number!
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Old Jan 26th 2008, 4:21 pm
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Default Re: Spouse Visa Timeline - London

Originally Posted by misterb
thanks for the tip to try [email protected]. unfortunately i just got an automated reply saying my email had been deleted and was not going to be read. looks like the only other option is to call the embassy on their $2.40 per minute number!
That number does not actually get through to the Embassy, but to a call center in Scotland. Be very firm with them regarding what you have already submitted and how long it's been.. you are not the typical applicant desperate to move your date up. There are mixed reviews of the info you can get from them, but it's a place to start.
And, I think you can get/buy a code from them to get through on the email.


Keep trying that email addy in the meantime.. sometimes it works.
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Old Jan 28th 2008, 8:22 pm
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Default Re: Spouse Visa Timeline - London

Originally Posted by misterb
Does anyone know what current timelines are for the interview invitation? And is there any way of contacting the Embassy to find out what's going on?
I sent in my husbands forms early January 08 and had a reply within about a week. (Our interview date is 30 Jan) Sounds like your letter got lost in the post!

I have also had an email reponse saying my email had been deleted without being read but today I got an email answering my question...so who knows...yours may be read!

Good luck
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Old Jan 28th 2008, 10:30 pm
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Default Re: Spouse Visa Timeline - London

Getting in contact with the Immigrant Visa (IV) unit of the US Consulate-General (ConGen) in London is notoriously difficult. In fairness to them -- although I see no particular reason to be so, other than the sheer exercise -- London is virtually always the busiest and most delayed ConGen, with the possible exceptions of ConGen-Juarez (Mexico) and ConGen-Manila (Philippines).

One possible tactic would be for your US Citizen spouse to write a letter to her Congressman and/or Senator (or the Congressman/Senator of the community where you will reside, after coming to the USA). The letter should be a SIMPLE letter -- too much detail is deadly to this kind of inquiry -- informing the elected official that the letter is from a constituent, that the constituent is having trouble getting an answer from ConGen-London, and could the elected official please make an inquiry about what is taking so long for the IV interview to be scheduled. Be sure to include the name of the petitioner, the beneficiary, and the consular case number.

Best of luck.
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Old Jan 29th 2008, 4:21 pm
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Default Re: Spouse Visa Timeline - London

Originally Posted by JCraigFong
One possible tactic would be for your US Citizen spouse to write a letter to her Congressman and/or Senator (or the Congressman/Senator of the community where you will reside, after coming to the USA)...
Would be a bugger if it was a congresswoman then
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Old Jan 29th 2008, 4:42 pm
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Default Re: Spouse Visa Timeline - London

Originally Posted by Bob
Would be a bugger if it was a congresswoman then
Isn't 'Congressman' gender neutral now, like 'Postmaster'? (don't try to call our female postmaster "postmistress", she has a cow over it!)
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Old Jan 29th 2008, 4:44 pm
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Default Re: Spouse Visa Timeline - London

Originally Posted by meauxna
(don't try to call our female postmaster "postmistress", she has a cow over it!)
When femstruating? Or all the time?
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Old Jan 29th 2008, 5:20 pm
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Default Re: Spouse Visa Timeline - London

ha ha.. I think she's in femopause, so it's all the time.
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Old Jan 29th 2008, 6:42 pm
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Default Re: Spouse Visa Timeline - London

Originally Posted by misterb
thanks for the tip to try [email protected]. unfortunately i just got an automated reply saying my email had been deleted and was not going to be read. looks like the only other option is to call the embassy on their $2.40 per minute number!
That is the correct addy and u will get a reply everytime i e-mail the consular in london i get the same message saying my e-mail has been deleted so don't worry they sometimes get back to u within 4 days sooner if they are not to busy also call the Visa Information Line and they will help u go to the US embassy London website it has the contact numbers there
just google US embassy London it will bring it up
Good luck
I am sure it will all work out

Michelle
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Old Jan 29th 2008, 6:46 pm
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Default Re: Spouse Visa Timeline - London

Originally Posted by cruickies
I sent in my husbands forms early January 08 and had a reply within about a week. (Our interview date is 30 Jan) Sounds like your letter got lost in the post!

I have also had an email reponse saying my email had been deleted without being read but today I got an email answering my question...so who knows...yours may be read!

Good luck


thank you all for the advice! i got through to the consular email address on my third attempt, and today they sent me a good explanation of what's going on.

basically, on the checklist i sent off back in august i had to state my intended date of departure. i put down march 2008. so the embassy apparently put a delay on my file as they don't like to do the interview until fairly close to your departure date. so i've been told to expect to receive an interview date about 6 weeks or so before we plan to leave. that should be any day now!

cruickies - all the best for your interview on the 30th!
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