K2 Manilla interview

[Susan53011 14]

Finally my fiance's (now wife) son had his interview yesterday. They kept his passport as expected but they said they had not received his medical packet yet from St Lukes. His medical finished completely on this last Monday. Is this common? And does anyone know about how much time it will add to the average 10 days to receive the passport back in his home address?

My fiance was working abroad in Canada and hand carried her medical packet to the interview so thats what I was expecting but in Manila they use a courier to send the medical packet accross the street lol.

[sweet cakes 326]

Finally my fiance's (now wife) son had his interview yesterday. They kept his passport as expected but they said they had not received his medical packet yet from St Lukes. His medical finished completely on this last Monday. Is this common? And does anyone know about how much time it will add to the average 10 days to receive the passport back in his home address?

My fiance was working abroad in Canada and hand carried her medical packet to the interview so thats what I was expecting but in Manila they use a courier to send the medical packet accross the street lol.

The US embassy in Manila instruction says that medical should be done at least a week before the interview. This is because St. Luke's forward the medical results in bulk to the embassy, unless they are informed to expedite a particular case. http://photos.state.gov/libraries/manila/325288/packets/K1%20and%20K2%20Interview%20Preparation%20Instructions%20-%20English%20_updated%2004%20Feb%202014_.pdf

As for the delay this might add, I don't think anybody can tell. I would also think 1-2 weeks is a good estimate from what I have read so far. What you can do is to call up the embassy and see if they have received the medical files yet.

[Pitaya 2,577]

~Moved from K1 Process to Phil. Regional Forum~

~Inquiry is about country-specific process~

[Hank_ 9,174]

Finally my fiance's (now wife) son had his interview yesterday. They kept his passport as expected but they said they had not received his medical packet yet from St Lukes. His medical finished completely on this last Monday. Is this common? And does anyone know about how much time it will add to the average 10 days to receive the passport back in his home address?

My fiance was working abroad in Canada and hand carried her medical packet to the interview so thats what I was expecting but in Manila they use a courier to send the medical packet accross the street lol.

Just completing the medical Monday is only 3 days before the interview, cutting it a little tight. It could add a week, maybe two depending...

Normal processing is upwards of two weeks after the interview, so expect at least a week more after they receive the medical file. At a minimum.

[Susan53011 14]

unfortunately, the medical was started 2 weeks prior to the interview on 8/26. They delayed him, not by our doing. they wanted further documentation of a tb skin test he had in 2011 prior to starting school instead of just doing another skin test. so his grandmother had to go back and forth to there home town returning on 8/29 then when she got back and waited hours again they told her to come back monday for the chest xray, but do you think they could do his vaccinations on any of those days.....NOPE, they did them the next day which was this last tuesday ( and of course he received duplicates of vaccinations he already had, polio- hep A- and tetanus, and didnt finish the ones he needed, ie varicella, so now needs a blanket waiver) which finally completed his medical that took 8 days. What a nightmare

The US embassy in Manila instruction says that medical should be done at least a week before the interview. This is because St. Luke's forward the medical results in bulk to the embassy, unless they are informed to expedite a particular case. http://photos.state.gov/libraries/manila/325288/packets/K1%20and%20K2%20Interview%20Preparation%20Instructions%20-%20English%20_updated%2004%20Feb%202014_.pdf

As for the delay this might add, I don't think anybody can tell. I would also think 1-2 weeks is a good estimate from what I have read so far. What you can do is to call up the embassy and see if they have received the medical files yet.

Just completing the medical Monday is only 3 days before the interview, cutting it a little tight. It could add a week, maybe two depending...

Normal processing is upwards of two weeks after the interview, so expect at least a week more after they receive the medical file. At a minimum.

[Greenbaum 12,259]

Susan53011, on 07 Sept 2014 - 07:59 AM, said:Susan53011, on 07 Sept 2014 - 07:59 AM, said:

unfortunately, the medical was started 2 weeks prior to the interview on 8/26. They delayed him, not by our doing. they wanted further documentation of a tb skin test he had in 2011 prior to starting school instead of just doing another skin test. so his grandmother had to go back and forth to there home town returning on 8/29 then when she got back and waited hours again they told her to come back monday for the chest xray, but do you think they could do his vaccinations on any of those days.....NOPE, they did them the next day which was this last tuesday ( and of course he received duplicates of vaccinations he already had, polio- hep A- and tetanus, and didnt finish the ones he needed, ie varicella, so now needs a blanket waiver) which finally completed his medical that took 8 days. What a nightmare

There is not much you can do when a system blows up in your face as this one has done to you. I'm always amazed at a system that adds days and days of extra expense to the applicant, when all of the procedures can and should be done on one visit which I think is shown clearly by your situation.

We had a problem with the NBI and it could have been resolved the day after the interview when my wife visited NBI with the necessary documents to clear the issue, but they said they couldn't do anything till they receive the 221(g) letter from USEM. A week later she has to get back on a plane and return in person with the documents to clear her name, the same documents she tried to present previously. $$$$$$! To add insult to injury, she had traveled to a NBI office in Mindanao just two months prior to her interview to have this resolved and after presenting the same documents, was told they will forward to Manila NBI for inclusion into her file. Case closed we thought. Haaaa.

Having said that, from your experience, this should be a lesson learned for others to do their medical at least 2-3 weeks if you have K2's because you can never predict what will happen during their medical processing. K1`s one to two weeks should be fine. Remember, like Hank said, they batch the cases up and send over to the embassy for matching with your other records prior to the interview which can add time and miss your interview causing yet another delay.

Edited September 7, 2014 by Greenbaum

[Hank_ 9,174]

unfortunately, the medical was started 2 weeks prior to the interview on 8/26. They delayed him, not by our doing. they wanted further documentation of a tb skin test he had in 2011 prior to starting school instead of just doing another skin test. so his grandmother had to go back and forth to there home town returning on 8/29 then when she got back and waited hours again they told her to come back monday for the chest xray, but do you think they could do his vaccinations on any of those days.....NOPE, they did them the next day which was this last tuesday ( and of course he received duplicates of vaccinations he already had, polio- hep A- and tetanus, and didnt finish the ones he needed, ie varicella, so now needs a blanket waiver) which finally completed his medical that took 8 days. What a nightmare

Doing the vaccinations the day after the X-rays is normal procedure. If you had tried to move your interview date you would have lost weeks anyway, it will all work out. Now just be patient.