Spouse Visa Timeline - London
#1
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 6
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
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
#2
Re: 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
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
I don't know how to get in touch with the embassy, but you need to do so!
Rene
#3
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 6
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!
"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!
#4
Re: 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
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
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]
#5
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Location: Kentucky
Posts: 38,865
Re: Spouse Visa Timeline - London
Ian
#6
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Joined: Jan 2008
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Re: Spouse Visa Timeline - London
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]
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]
#7
Re: Spouse Visa Timeline - London
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!
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.
#8
Forum Regular
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 69
Re: Spouse Visa Timeline - London
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
#9
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.
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.
#14
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Joined: Sep 2007
Location: Scotland right now...Naples Florida soon :)
Posts: 213
Re: Spouse Visa Timeline - London
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!
just google US embassy London it will bring it up
Good luck
I am sure it will all work out
Michelle
#15
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Joined: Jan 2008
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Re: Spouse Visa Timeline - London
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
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!