Some oddness with the Visa fee

[arwilson80 0]

I had my interview a week past on Thursday (Jun-17), paid the fee and returned to N.Ireland (in AP).

I checked my credit card (online) and the fee was showing there as a recent transaction... Now, a week later there is no sign of the transaction ever having been made, not even a credit to the account if they had taken payment and cancelled it.:s

Oddness. Now i'm not sure if it's a bad sign of things to come or not, or if i should even worry (i know others have said it takes a few days to show up, but after a week...?). :s

[English Muffin 59]

Aren't you in AP?

Perhaps they're not going to take the fee until they're ready to issue the visa. Just a guess, but it would make sense.

[arwilson80 0]

Yeah, it makes kind of makes sense... But i would have expected to see a refund / cancellation transaction as i already authorized them to take payment AND it appeared on my account as a recent transaction.

[English Muffin 59]

I've had something similar happen with me. I think a 'hold' goes on the transaction first and if it gets cancelled before they take the money it just disappears as if nothing happened. It's only if the transaction goes through and then the money is refunded does it show up.

[Fandango 1,439]

I think anyone can 'void' a fee within a certain amt of time. So it''ll never show.

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

Call the credit card company and ask them about the transaction.

[Justine+David 218]

I had called my credit card company about a charge that came up months later and they had said that technically all vendors have up to a year to charge you...Have you called up the embassy's expensive phone line about the AP yet?

[*julez* 124]

I agree with Muffin - you won't actually be charged with the fee until your visa is ready to be issued. If you are in AP, they aren't ready to issue a visa.

[arwilson80 0]

I agree with Muffin - you won't actually be charged with the fee until your visa is ready to be issued. If you are in AP, they aren't ready to issue a visa.

then they need to get a move on (although i doubt me asking / telling them that will make a difference). I want to go 'Home'!

[arwilson80 0]

I had called my credit card company about a charge that came up months later and they had said that technically all vendors have up to a year to charge you...Have you called up the embassy's expensive phone line about the AP yet?

Nope, not Yet. Last time i did i was told to e-mail them, and judging what responses people have received from them while in AP it's pointless (It's in AP. We'll let you know when we are ready). I was giving them to Thursday of this week before i do that. Calling DOS today though to see what they can tell me.

[treehugger 23]

Nope, not Yet. Last time i did i was told to e-mail them, and judging what responses people have received from them while in AP it's pointless (It's in AP. We'll let you know when we are ready). I was giving them to Thursday of this week before i do that. Calling DOS today though to see what they can tell me.

Emailing the embassy - pointless.

When you call the DoS ask them if the processing is taking place in DC (namechecks) or at the embassy. Ask them if there are any missing documents. Basically, ask them direct questions. They won't always answer, but you're still more likely to get some information than just calling to inquire. And if you don't get anywhere with the operator that answers, just call back and hope you get someone more helpful.

Put it this way, even when AP is over and the embassy are about to issue the visa, the DoS will usually still say pending. If you ask them are the embassy about to issue the visa, they'll say yes or no accordingly.

[arwilson80 0]

Those were the sorts of questions i was going to ask...

When was the last action taken on it?

Is it in London or gone back to the US?

I guess the 'about to issue the visa?' one is good too.

Are there any others that would be good to ask?

Edited June 28, 2010 by arwilson80

[treehugger 23]

Those were the sorts of questions i was going to ask...

When was the last action taken on it?

Is it in London or gone back to the US?

I guess the 'about to issue the visa?' one is good too.

Are there any others that would be good to ask?

Oh no, don't fall in the trap of 'has it gone back to the US?'....if it was physically sent back to NVC or USCIS they'd tell you at the embassy, and if you ask DoS that they'll just say 'no, sir, the case file is still physically at the embassy'. You need to ask where the processing is being done, whether US (ie DC and namechecks) or the embassy (where they review the info they have, either before or after DC).

The last action on it question - varying degrees of success. They only make a note in your file in certain instances (no, I don't know what they are lol), and some will refuse to tell you anyway.

There really isn't much more you can ask, other than are the documents complete, is it the validity of the relationship, etc...I've asked every permutation and combination I can think of, and after 18 weeks all I know is that my documents are complete, the relationship is recognised as valid, and I'm undergoing namechecks. And guess what - I got that all from my very first phonecall to the DoS.

[treehugger 23]

I just called for my weekly update - when I asked her if the agency checks were finished she got angry and put the phone down!