Adding fiance to interview - too late?

[vivalagloria 3]

Hello everyone!

I have my fiancee visa interview on Monday at 8:30, and my American partner is over here with me and if possible I'd really like for him to come to the interview as well.

But we're both travelling with work right now and I think I messed up by not contacting the embassy sooner to get his name added to the interview. To be honest, I completely lost track of what day it was (we play in a band that's on tour, and it's really easy to not realise what day it is on tour!) and I didn't properly realise until last night that it's too late to call the embassy now.

Is there ANYTHING I can do? If we turn up together at the embassy on Monday, can I just request that he comes in with me, or does it have to be in advance?

Should I try calling the call centre on Monday morning? The website says they open at 7am, so there might be a little time before my appointment at 8:30.

I'd really appreciate ANY advice :-/

[QueenOfBlades 224]

You could try and ask inside if he can come in with you. My fiance's name was meant to be added to the access list but wasn't (I did have an e-mail from the London IV unit saying he should have been, though), I asked the receptionist inside once I'd been through security etc and she phoned through to the consular unit and asked if he could come in, they then sent an e-mail through to security saying he could come through and I had to go back downstairs then go back through security and bring him through. If all else fails, when you go to the reception area and she sticks an I number on your passport, you can ask if he can come in. Unless his name is on the access list, it's highly unlikely the miserable English woman who checks the access list at the front will let him in.

If you are going to try that though, get there early as it added an extra 45 mins to our wait time.

[vivalagloria 3]

Thanks Queen!

What time would you recommend we arrive there if my appointment time was 8:30?

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Your appointment time doesn't really matter. There will be 10am people lining up at 7am and will be seen before you if they are in line before you. Security starts letting people in at 7:30. Processing inside opens at 8:00.

[QueenOfBlades 224]

Thanks Queen!

What time would you recommend we arrive there if my appointment time was 8:30?

If your appointment time is 8.30am and they start letting people in at 7.30am, I'd say 7.30am, as soon as possible if you're going to try and get your fiance in too. We got there a good hour-ish early, lucky we did as we didn't anticipate any issues given that we'd had an e-mail from the IV unit saying he was on the access list, but they didn't put him on it.

Edited October 6, 2013 by QueenOfBlades

[nobbie 105]

Make sure he takes his passport with him.

[vivalagloria 3]

Yes he will definitely bring his passport, and his work visa which allows him to be in the country right now.

We're planning to get there about 7am, and I'll ask at the door if they can add my partner to the access list.

Fingers crossed!