packet 3 confusion

[dbears 1]

There has been a lot of confusion lately about people supposedly receiving packet 3. What is packet 3 then?

From a member from another country, these is what she shared as to the content of her packet 3 and these are supposed to be sent out by mail to the embassy before scheduling medical and interview:

IV-15 Checklist

Information medical

Medical Questionnaire

DS-230-I Part I

DS-156

DS-156K

DS-157 for Males

The letter from USEM is not packet 3 but just a letter informing us that we are eligible to schedule an interview and etc. It does not contain documents that we need to mail out to embassy so I guess it still stands that the Philippines still don't have "packet 3" up to this time. Now aren't we glad that we don't have it? I am sure glad because it lessens the waiting time for us.

As for the people who just got approved or whose papers are still at the NVC, you could wait for this information letter from embassy or you could call NVC and ask them directly when did they or when will they forward your approved petition to USEM. When NVC gives you exact date, you can either track it through DHL online using tips from here (http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=115441) or you could give it one week from that exact date before calling to schedule your interview appointment.

See the date on my letter: April 3 and I received it just today April 9. we already had interview date April 1. So it is your choice, to wait for the letter or to call ahead once you know your papers are with the embassy already.

i hope we could stop calling this letter the packet 3, because it is not packet 3 and calling it as such just adds to the confusion of other people:

My understsanding is that, packet 3 and packet 4 is the same, the only difference is the way the papers are handled. packet 3 is to be sent out to embassy while packet 4 is to be carried over during interview. I don't know if I am correct though. I sure hope somebody could share further explanation.

Good luck to us all and God be our guide.

[David-and-Mae 15]

There is no such thing as Packet 3 in the Philippines. Even before, the petitioner or the beneficiary may receive a letter from USEM and mistaken as P3, when in fact it's just a letter informing that the visa application is ready to be processed. Packet 3 in other countries are list of the things that the applicant needs to return in their consulates. We don't send back anything to USEM.

--Mae