nudda

Parents sponsored for a GC by their child who is a US Citizen. Everything has been submitted and their IR-5 cases have been "Documentarily Qualified". Father on 13 may 2021, mother on 12 April 2021. Next step is the interview in the UK. What is the processing time? How long should I expect to wait for an interview date ? (online it says 3 months but we are past that for mother.

Is there any way we can speed it up?
I guess there is no point talking to a lawyer at this point? (we did not use a lawyer).

Thanks

steph0scope

There is a big backlog as IR-5 visas were suspended for some time but the NVC continued to process applications. So they stacked up at the embassy. Once the backlog is clear then things should move along again as before.

nudda

Thanks. Any indication of timeline I.e 3 month, 6 months 1 year or more ?

civilservant

How long is a piece of string. The good news is that your parents both have a place in the line, the bad news is that no one really knows how long the line is, or the pace that it is moving forward at.

A year would not surprise me at all bearing in mind how long the London Visa Unit was shut down during COVID, but that's a total guess.

nudda

Thanks. I was expecting such a response but had to ask Yep there's not much else I can do at this point but cross my fingers and toes that they get their date soon. Appreciate everyones response on this thread!

S Folinsky

Even in normal times, projected timelines are, at best, estimates. And, these are not normal times. So, I will join in “who knows?”

On the pedantic side of things, your parents are NOT waiting for “NVC interview in the UK.” They are waiting for their consular interview at the US Embassy in London. As a matter of law, the consuls have sole and exclusive jurisdiction over visa applications. The National Visa Center provides administrative services. (It used to be that approved visa petitions went to the overseas consulate and all files and paperwork were in the foreign country. A dear friend had been scheduled for her final visa interview at the end of November 1979, at the US Embassy in Tehran. Interview did not take place and she did not get stateside until 1987. As the saying goes, brown material happens. BTW, my friend informs me that “Argo” is an accurate portrayal of revolutionary Tehran).

This mention is a tad more than pedantic. If something goes wrong, consular decisions are what us legal types call “non-reviewable.”

Do they “need” a lawyer, or is it even advisable? I have no idea. It is most likely not needed and many people DIY with no or minor problem. But who knows? Does your dad keep in touch with an old school chum who engages in international arms smuggling? Just an example of what might happen.