The 2009 United Kingdom Interview Thread!

[mr and mrs 187]

One thing I wondered is how the DOS lady would even know if London is done scheduling May interviews? Is this something they just say at the end of every month?

thats why i thought it was a really weird comment (on the part of the DOS operator, not you). from what i hear, the DOS people just have access to data files linked to our LND numbers and our names. they only report case status and relevant dates. they have nothing to do with the scheduling so i find it hard to believe that they would know that sort of information.

it seems like there is no real end date to scheduling within a month if KAT just got bumped up to the 29th of april. we will see at least 5 or 6 more may dates i bet.

[Stinkerpotsam 6]

GUESSS who got APPROVED

approved at 9 15am this morning pending my medical results !!

Good luck to you all with future interview dates! do not get so stressed by it all ita as easy as 123 !

YIPEEEE

Congrats!!! :dance:

[laura819 0]

One thing I wondered is how the DOS lady would even know if London is done scheduling May interviews? Is this something they just say at the end of every month?

thats why i thought it was a really weird comment (on the part of the DOS operator, not you). from what i hear, the DOS people just have access to data files linked to our LND numbers and our names. they only report case status and relevant dates. they have nothing to do with the scheduling so i find it hard to believe that they would know that sort of information.

it seems like there is no real end date to scheduling within a month if KAT just got bumped up to the 29th of april. we will see at least 5 or 6 more may dates i bet.

The only reason I thought this had any weight is cuz I think I did read on here somewhere that the embassies schedule the interviews in groups, and I thought it definitely said that when they are done for the month, thats it, except for some exceptions. But I don't know if this was all the embassies, or a specific one. I have read so much i am not sure anymore haha.

I feel like a pest calling DOS a lot, but I am scared they are gonna send Packet 4 to my fiance and its gonna be like, for the next day or something, which he'd take but it could cause problems with his job and stuff. So I think I am gonna start calling like every 3 days? Is this ridiculous???

[mr and mrs 187]

i have heard fleeting references to this as well, but havent heard much evidence to support it at least here in the UK forum.

yes, you can call the DOS everyday. i limited my self to 2 or 3 times a week.

laura, i think you will also get a may interview. give it another week.

im sleepy. off to bed. night!

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

Batch scheduling has never been the rule in London. I would be very surprised if no more May interviews are scheduled.

[MonkeyJuice 3]

I guess that's any hope of a May interview out of the window then - I didn't realise that all next month's interviews had been allocated already.

why would you say that? based on what evidence? you can do the 'woe is me' thing when you get a interview date that is TRULY disappointing. like freaking july. sit tight. call the DOS to your heart's content. heck, call the embassy on the extortion line if it will make you feel better. but giving up hope? i dont see what purpose that serves.

Oh well ... no chance of our mid-June wedding now ....

i dont mean to be harsh. if you really think there is an problem with your interview date being issued, then get busy investigating. things do get lost. shite happens. you gotta keep moving through this and not get hung up on the bumps in the road.

I'm not doing a "woe is me thing" Mr and Mrs. I'm merely repeating what was posted earlier. In one of the posts it said that DOS have said that May's interview's have already been allocated. I called DOS this morning and I DON'T have an interview date ... so I'm assuming, based on the evidence from DOS that I have not been allocated a May interview. Does that make sense?

Basically, if I don't get a May interview then any chance of getting married as planned during the middle of June DOES go out of the window. I wasn't feeling sorry for myself at all, I was being realistic - which made me sad.

And I have every intention of investigating. I'm not going to sit on my butt and do nothing. As for giving up hope? There will never be any chance of that. I know I will get an interview eventually, just that I had hoped for an earlier one and had stupidly made plans based on an earlier one ... plans that unfortunately have to be changed now ...

I really am very happy for everyone who already has their interview date ... and I apologise for showing MY disappointment at not being so lucky ....

Moira x

I know I would be frustrated too! So you know, if I were you Moira, I would email the embassy saying that you had planned on a June wedding & intended to travel out in May to organise things. You didn't put this on the checklist as you didn't have a specific date and you didn't realise it could take so long to obatin an interview date. Tell them that now you're both becoming anxious as you haven't received packet 4 & would really appreciate it if they would take the June date into consideration when scheduling your interview.

By doing this your aren't 'pushing in' as you've waited longer than most for a date. You are just telling them waht most people put on their checklist.

Good Luck

[Graziumphry 0]

wow! so we are still the only VJers to have an interview on may 1st? our interview time is 9:00am so going to get there around 8:30am (as the letter said).

Good luck to everyone else who has their interviews this week! if I had it in my power I would give approvals all round!

[Gemmie 142]

I find it hard to believe that May interviews are gone. Maybe this is another case of someone having misinformation? If not, I suggest the same as monkeyjuice; tell them about your travel/wedding dates. The Embassy tries to be flexible for everyone. I put my POE date as middle of June and no date for wedding, and I was luckily granted a May interview.

Also, I've been reading the reviews. It seems that everyone arrives WAY early (like, 7-7:30am); it specifically says on the letter to arrive within 30 minutes of the interview, no earlier.. my bus gets to London at 7:45am and I'm hoping to jump on a tube and get there - did I make a mistake there? It looks like people queue for a really long time and I'm worried I won't make the top of the line by 9??

[mrs_sdp 0]

Hi All ...

I wanted to clarify some things relevant to my previous posting. When I call the DOS. I speak to someone who says my documents have been received and are being worked on. When I ask if I am eligible for an interview, I'm told that the documents haven't been "qualified" yet and that no interview date has been set.

I had originally asked for a travel date in May as we had planned to get married mid June. I'm being advised to email the Embassy. Have people actually emailed the Embassy asking for their interview to be moved forward when they have been told that they are not eligible for one yet?

I can understand the comments about keeping the board moral up, but all I seemed to see last week were other people getting interviews ... couples who had sent their documents to London weeks AFTER me. As I said, I am truly happy for all the people getting interviews, but I was starting to get worried that something was wrong with MY documents because interviews were being granted quickly for others ... Again, probably because of different circumstances .... everyone is different ...

I apologise if my post was out of place, but I thought that this was the place to share experiences, feelings and concerns ...

Good luck in your journey everyone ... I wish you all well ...

Moira x

[mrs_sdp 0]

I guess that's any hope of a May interview out of the window then - I didn't realise that all next month's interviews had been allocated already.

why would you say that? based on what evidence? you can do the 'woe is me' thing when you get a interview date that is TRULY disappointing. like freaking july. sit tight. call the DOS to your heart's content. heck, call the embassy on the extortion line if it will make you feel better. but giving up hope? i dont see what purpose that serves.

Oh well ... no chance of our mid-June wedding now ....

i dont mean to be harsh. if you really think there is an problem with your interview date being issued, then get busy investigating. things do get lost. shite happens. you gotta keep moving through this and not get hung up on the bumps in the road.

I'm not doing a "woe is me thing" Mr and Mrs. I'm merely repeating what was posted earlier. In one of the posts it said that DOS have said that May's interview's have already been allocated. I called DOS this morning and I DON'T have an interview date ... so I'm assuming, based on the evidence from DOS that I have not been allocated a May interview. Does that make sense?

Basically, if I don't get a May interview then any chance of getting married as planned during the middle of June DOES go out of the window. I wasn't feeling sorry for myself at all, I was being realistic - which made me sad.

And I have every intention of investigating. I'm not going to sit on my butt and do nothing. As for giving up hope? There will never be any chance of that. I know I will get an interview eventually, just that I had hoped for an earlier one and had stupidly made plans based on an earlier one ... plans that unfortunately have to be changed now ...

I really am very happy for everyone who already has their interview date ... and I apologise for showing MY disappointment at not being so lucky ....

Moira x

I know I would be frustrated too! So you know, if I were you Moira, I would email the embassy saying that you had planned on a June wedding & intended to travel out in May to organise things. You didn't put this on the checklist as you didn't have a specific date and you didn't realise it could take so long to obatin an interview date. Tell them that now you're both becoming anxious as you haven't received packet 4 & would really appreciate it if they would take the June date into consideration when scheduling your interview.

By doing this your aren't 'pushing in' as you've waited longer than most for a date. You are just telling them waht most people put on their checklist.

Good Luck

Thanks MonkeyJuice ... I will call today and ask for case status instead of calling the DOS. I will also ask for the email code and send a request off to them ...

[mrs_sdp 0]

Hi ...

I just called the London Embassy and asked for the status of my case. The person I spoke to (Maggie) said that my case was within the specified guidelines for processing - which, at the moment, is eight weeks.

I asked for the email code and was asked why I needed to email them. I repeated basically what you said Monkey Juice and was told that there was no point emailing them as I had already included the information about intended travel and marriage dates within my documents.

She said she understood my concern, but that I was to wait the eight weeks and if I didn't hear anything by then .... then I should call again. I guess I just need to wait until the 21st of May ... unless they send me an interview date out before then.

Have a great day ....

Moira x

[mr and mrs 187]

did she not give you the email code?? that's mean! call back on thursday or friday and see if you get the same answer.

again, i really do think you will get a may date. even if you get to the 21st, they will expedite your processing and schedule your ASAP.

[MARM 7]

Hi ...

I just called the London Embassy and asked for the status of my case. The person I spoke to (Maggie) said that my case was within the specified guidelines for processing - which, at the moment, is eight weeks.

I asked for the email code and was asked why I needed to email them. I repeated basically what you said Monkey Juice and was told that there was no point emailing them as I had already included the information about intended travel and marriage dates within my documents.

She said she understood my concern, but that I was to wait the eight weeks and if I didn't hear anything by then .... then I should call again. I guess I just need to wait until the 21st of May ... unless they send me an interview date out before then.

Have a great day ....

Moira x

Hello Moira,

You should not have explained all of this to the lady who answered the phone when you called the extortion line...she is just an operator and cannot give you further information. You should have simply asked for the email code of the week and if she asked why you could have said to expedite my interview date or to change my interview date, etc. When my fiance called the extortion line for the embassy, just as he began to explain the situation of why we need to re-extend our interview date, the male operator on the line told him not to explain anything to him because he is just an operator and he proceeded to give my fiance the email code of the week. I suggest to call the embassy again and ask for the email code this time....not even a 2 minute phone call and then you can email the embassy and they will take care of it. I must say, the London embassy is very very cooperative and pretty much on top of things as compared to the rest. We are very pleased to be dealing with them for this immigration process. Good luck!

[Talyss 0]

Hi ...

I just called the London Embassy and asked for the status of my case. The person I spoke to (Maggie) said that my case was within the specified guidelines for processing - which, at the moment, is eight weeks.

I asked for the email code and was asked why I needed to email them. I repeated basically what you said Monkey Juice and was told that there was no point emailing them as I had already included the information about intended travel and marriage dates within my documents.

She said she understood my concern, but that I was to wait the eight weeks and if I didn't hear anything by then .... then I should call again. I guess I just need to wait until the 21st of May ... unless they send me an interview date out before then.

Have a great day ....

Moira x

I can understand your concern about your documents, it is very frustrating when other people speed by and you are still waiting. I am assuming you have double checked that your fiance sent back all the forms he was meant to (just remembering some miscommunication last year when somebody waited a long time and there was a form missing and they only found out by getting their congressman involved).

One possibility for peace of mind is to tell the helpline you need to update some of the information submitted with packet 3 and see if they will let you have the e-mail code. If not get you fiance to write a letter explaining your deadline and asking if they can consider you for an earlier interview and send it next day recorded delivery, its worth a try and may trigger a response from them if there are any problems with the paperwork.

I used to ring DOS everyday it doesn't do any harm and is much less soul destroying than the stern people on the embassy helpline. If when you get your interview date it is too far away then you can e-mail and ask for a cancellation.

Hope you get good news soon.

[mrs_sdp 0]

Hi ...

I just called the London Embassy and asked for the status of my case. The person I spoke to (Maggie) said that my case was within the specified guidelines for processing - which, at the moment, is eight weeks.

I asked for the email code and was asked why I needed to email them. I repeated basically what you said Monkey Juice and was told that there was no point emailing them as I had already included the information about intended travel and marriage dates within my documents.

She said she understood my concern, but that I was to wait the eight weeks and if I didn't hear anything by then .... then I should call again. I guess I just need to wait until the 21st of May ... unless they send me an interview date out before then.

Have a great day ....

Moira x

Hello Moira,

You should not have explained all of this to the lady who answered the phone when you called the extortion line...she is just an operator and cannot give you further information. You should have simply asked for the email code of the week and if she asked why you could have said to expedite my interview date or to change my interview date, etc. When my fiance called the extortion line for the embassy, just as he began to explain the situation of why we need to re-extend our interview date, the male operator on the line told him not to explain anything to him because he is just an operator and he proceeded to give my fiance the email code of the week. I suggest to call the embassy again and ask for the email code this time....not even a 2 minute phone call and then you can email the embassy and they will take care of it. I must say, the London embassy is very very cooperative and pretty much on top of things as compared to the rest. We are very pleased to be dealing with them for this immigration process. Good luck!

I called again and told them I had a week in May when I wouldn't be available for interview. I wasn't lying - there will be four days in May when I won't be. They gave me the code. I'll put an email together tonight when I get home from work at 10.30pm.

Thanks Marm ... much appreciated ....