tommyh99

Hi all, I'm hoping someone can offer me some help & advice regarding an ongoing visa application.
I had an interview at the embassy in London on the 20th of October for a B1/B2 visa. At the interview, due to delays at the ACRO Police Certificate office, I was unable to present my certificate. The led to my visa being refused, pending me sending in the certificate. The officer who conducted my interview suggested it would take a 'few weeks' to get my visa and inferred it would be a formality. He gave me a form with the information of where to send my certificate. On this form it said I would hear back from them in "two workdays" but it has now been over 20 since sending the certificate on the 25th of October..
I have 2 kids who live with their mother in the US and am anxious to get back to see them as soon as possible. I had hoped to be there for Thanksgiving but now I'm hoping at least for Christmas.
Does anyone know how long it may take to get an update and/or if there is anything at all I can do to find out? Equally, is there anything that can be done to expedite or encourage them to process my application in a timely manner?
All help & advice very much appreciated. Thank you

christmasoompa

Why do you need a B visa - criminal record or something else? What does your online status say?

tommyh99

The online status says 'refused' on the DS160 tracker but not updated since the 20th Oct & on the visa application portal the status is "consular appointment" with the date of appointment stated as 20th Oct. Nothing has changed in a month in other words.

The officer who interviewed me said he had to refuse it because I was missing the Police Certificate but that once I sent it in that would be changed & the portal it would update with instructions of where to send my passport via courier.

I had an ESTA declined for unknown reasons, they couldn't give me any insight at the embassy, and therefore had to apply for a B1/B2.

christmasoompa

OK. It's possible that you've been put in to Administrative Processing, presumably for whatever reason caused them to refuse your ESTA (something like sharing a name/DOB with somebody with a serious criminal record etc), but as your status still says Refused it sounds like they just haven't got to the police cert yet. If you only sent it on 25th Oct (I assume tracked so you know they definitely got it?), then that's only 16 working days ago by my calculations. I've no idea why they say 2 working days on the form, that's just daft!

If you send another enquiry I'd maybe ask specifically if you are in AP just to double check, but hopefully it won't be long until it changes to 'issued'. Good luck.

tommyh99

Thank you christmasoompa!
I know they have received my certificate, I had confirmation on the 1st of November.
I want to send an enquiry to them but am not sure where I would send such a request, can you offer any insight on this?
Thanks again

christmasoompa

OK, so if they got it on 1st November then if you don't count that day or today, that's only 11 working days ago (assuming they were shut for Veterans Day of course). So it's still early days actually and I wouldn't worry yet.

You can contact them here - https://uk.usembassy.gov/visas/visa-...-contact-form/

S Folinsky

I am now retired from the long practice of immigration law. I can tell you that if I was consulted on a situation such as yours, I would’ve said I had inadequate information to provide an answer. Furthermore, I had learned not to trust the narrative given by the client. Nothing dishonest mind you, just that the idea of lost in translation applies to the US Immigration & Nationality Act; nature of the beast. My practice was to make inquiry of the Consulate to ascertain the problem. In the pre-internet days, this would often be by facsimile. Attorneys would more often than not, get a response.

I recall a long ago case where clients’ child had a visa refusal from Shenyang. My fax inquiry simply noted the description provided by the grandmother. I got a reply profusely thanking me for my fax, they would be happy to grant the visa, the refusal was not for the reason given by grandma and would I PLEASE provide a particular document which was readily available. Although the reply was diplomatic I got the feeling that grandma had been a battle axe.

SanDiegogirl

According to your earlier posts you were travelling to the US on a B1/B2 back in 2015.
So you could not travel on ESTA even then.
Surely you know why you have to have a B1/B2 visa.