People between NOA2 and Interview ~2009~

[fulamuso 0]

Poll: How many people are waiting for an interview in London,

and when did they "receive" your packet 3 response?

Claire and Troy........P3 delivered 11/09 - DOS says eligible for interview 11/20

Chaz and Riggs....... P3 delivered 11/12 - DOS says eligible for interview 11/20

Jewel-8.................. P3 delivered 11/12 .. DOS says eligible for interview 11/19

Lioncub4................ P3 delivered 11/09 - DOS says eligible for interview 11/23

pdcvcm.................. P3 delivered 11/16 - DOS says eligible for interview 11/25

frostymist............... P3 delivered 11/19

fulamuso.................P3 delivered 11/25- DOS says eligible for interview 11/30

yorkshireRose22......P3 delivered 11/30

i called yesterday ( and today lol) and they said we are eligible! hurrah!

how are we supposed to plan ANYTHING when we don't know anything!!?? ie, need to get plane ticket at least somewhat in advance unless we want to spend a fortune, but have NO idea when to book it for... grrr... i'm trying to figure out if/when to set up vacation days, etc.. eek!

[Justine+David 218]

^^ it sucks basically, but you can wait up to 6 months if you want to save money on the tickets...:devilishgrin: most people don't

[Allie and Nigel 2]

I dont know why you guys talk about being "eligible" for a interview, you get a case# from the DOS after your NOA2, then you give your case# to the doctors office in London and book your medical, then send in packet 3 stuff that you download off their site which we can get easy on this site the link for, and then you call the DOS again and see if you have a blinking interview date after that.......it takes about 3 weeks to get a interview usually.....

[Chaz and Riggs 0]

I dont know why you guys talk about being "eligible" for a interview, you get a case# from the DOS after your NOA2, then you give your case# to the doctors office in London and book your medical, then send in packet 3 stuff that you download off their site which we can get easy on this site the link for, and then you call the DOS again and see if you have a blinking interview date after that.......it takes about 3 weeks to get a interview usually.....

When DoS tells us that they received the packet, it doesn't mean that we're "eligible" really until probably someone looks at the forms and sees that they're all there and filled out and signed right. That's my best guess. DoS told me they have the medical documents, but no interview yet... still ...

[Jewel-8 21]

I dont know why you guys talk about being "eligible" for a interview, you get a case# from the DOS after your NOA2, then you give your case# to the doctors office in London and book your medical, then send in packet 3 stuff that you download off their site which we can get easy on this site the link for, and then you call the DOS again and see if you have a blinking interview date after that.......it takes about 3 weeks to get a interview usually.....

Usually. For some people it has been taking 4-5 weeks. We are sick of waiting. This once a month scheduling BS sucks. They use to give out dates sporadically during the month, but now it seems to have changed.

We are forming a little club here. We no longer fit into the April, May, June, July or August filers because some of the people from other countries are already married. There's already EIGHT of us. WOOHOO!

[Gemmie 142]

How frustrating, the wait must be awful..

I waited 5 weeks to hear back for my interview date but my fiance was in the UK with me at the time, so it didn't seem as bad.

I hope it goes quickly for you!

[Jewel-8 21]

How frustrating, the wait must be awful..

I waited 5 weeks to hear back for my interview date but my fiance was in the UK with me at the time, so it didn't seem as bad.

I hope it goes quickly for you!

Thanks Gemmie! I always like seeing your posts. Glad to see that you are married and happy. I hope the adjusting to the US has gone well for you.

For anyone that isn't understanding why we are making a list of those of us WAITING for interview dates and listing when DOS told us we were eligible, HERE IT IS: The last time London seemed to tell VJers that they were scheduled was 11/13, before that it was maybe 10/13. That means ONCE in 7 weeks!!!!!!! And it doesn't seem like they have done any more scheduling in these past 18 days at all.

I know I might be coming off as a drama queen, but COME ON! It really does seem like an unnecessary delay!! For a minute there it actually seemed like I might get Christmas or New Years settling in with my husband-to-be. Now that notion is TOTALLY slipping away. If I only knew WHEN the interview would be it would make the wait slightly easier.

Alright, I'm done waiting. Come on interview-scheduler-clerk in London!!!!

[Allie and Nigel 2]

You know, there's probably a bunch of November interviewees they're making visa's for right now so they have to catch up maybe! We took 3 weeks to get a interview but they sure take their sweet time making the visas and processing additional items mailed in AFTER the interview if needed....THATS frustrating as well! Get all exited about having a interview but what goes along during and after is also time consuming.........its not over yet folks!!!!!

[Jewel-8 21]

You know, there's probably a bunch of November interviewees they're making visa's for right now so they have to catch up maybe! We took 3 weeks to get a interview but they sure take their sweet time making the visas and processing additional items mailed in AFTER the interview if needed....THATS frustrating as well! Get all exited about having a interview but what goes along during and after is also time consuming.........its not over yet folks!!!!!

You're right!! I guess the best thing to do is keep calling DOS. If they get enough of us in a day, every single day, maybe they will realize how inefficently London is going and they will hire more staff or figure out a better way to streamline processes. This is a freaking joke. What the freak is London aiming for? Montreal timeframes?!?

[pdcvcc 0]

So here it goes, you probably wouldn't guess it but I used to be a cheerleader along with sports, debate, theatre, blah, blah, blah. I agree with you the process is time consuming and in no way is it over yet but each of these little milestones helps me break the process down into smaller bites to chew. I am glad all of us are celebrating these minor victories and I love to rah rah something. Putting our names down gives me something to look forward to and something to (as my honey says) tick off the boxes. DOS tick, London Embassy tick, Packet 3 received tick, Packet 3 sent off tick, London received tick, London told me we are eligible tick (whew, nothing else to do now except wait tick) Other than Paul I do not have anyone around to talk to about this process so I look forward to getting on here and seeing where everyone is and it totally helps to keep track so we can support each other. Love it. So thank you to all who are working it. Then we will all get to move over to the Interview string next. Tick.

On a side note: Paul and I put a bid on a HUD home. The inspection was today. I wish he was here to go through all this with me. Nothing surprising came up on the inspection. It will be a big project but couldn't imagine doing it with anyone other than him.

Have a great evening all.

[lesleysizeland 0]

Hey, im just wondering if anyone can answer a couple questions for me.

Does anyone know if you send the forms for packet 3 off before the checklist does the embassy wait for the checklist before logging packet 3? I sent my forms off about 3 weeks ago and the checklist last week and i phoned the DOS yesterday but London had not logged my forms yet (i know im probably worrying as im sure they have them just have not opened them as they seem to take FOREVER with anything!)

Secondly, i posted my checklist with Royal Mail Signed for and it said it was delivered to the Embassy on the 26th, Thanksgiving Day, i thought they were closed on the 26th so how can this be?!

Thanks and good luck to all you guys waiting on an interview - i feel your pain, although i want an interview in Feb is the not knowing that is killing me!

[SunDrop 59]

Hey, im just wondering if anyone can answer a couple questions for me.

Does anyone know if you send the forms for packet 3 off before the checklist does the embassy wait for the checklist before logging packet 3? I sent my forms off about 3 weeks ago and the checklist last week and i phoned the DOS yesterday but London had not logged my forms yet (i know im probably worrying as im sure they have them just have not opened them as they seem to take FOREVER with anything!)

Secondly, i posted my checklist with Royal Mail Signed for and it said it was delivered to the Embassy on the 26th, Thanksgiving Day, i thought they were closed on the 26th so how can this be?!

Thanks and good luck to all you guys waiting on an interview - i feel your pain, although i want an interview in Feb is the not knowing that is killing me!

They won't schedule an interview without the checklist, so I'm guessing they don't log you onto the system as being interview ready pending appointment untl they have that.

Though consulate staff are on vacation, security isn't. It's usually security that processes mail deliveries for embassies (and large companies) because the embassies will have xraying and chemical checking processes with their mail.

[SunDrop 59]

I've been wondering about this stage with the embassy and why they're doing it the way they are, with once monthly scheduling (apparently). They know that the growing trend is for applicants to contact the DOS after NOA2 to confirm the embassy has received their case file. And then without waiting for packet 3, people are downloading the forms and sending them in. So, I'm curious (although there's no real way of knowing this!) whether this 'self-processing' is actually making their behind the scenes process less streamlined and they're trying to claw back some sense of control by block booking appointments.

Before, they knew that 20 people had been approved at NVC, so decide to contact 10 one week and 10 the next, would receive returned P3s in groups of 10 ish, could interview 10 ish a week. Now, they know 20 have been approved and bam, 20 files land and everyone expects to be processed at the same time?

And of those 20 'self-processing' folks, how many are actually returning checklists when they don't have all the necessaries because they know/think it'll be enough time between returning it and getting the appointment. And then the COs get incomplete documentation when something doesn't arrive in time because of poor planning? Not suggesting that is the case here with anyone, but heck, it must happen all the time!

From an administrative point of view, it makes sense to block book appointments. If your petition was approved and logged in the first 2 weeks of the month, then you're golden. It's the poor souls who were approved in the middle of the month who have to wait 4 weeks ish to hear any more. It will be interesting to see if those approved around the time of the last block booking get shorter notice of their interviews?

*shrugs* dunno, but I do wonder... lol

[FrostyMist 1]

What's kinda strange about this whole waiting thing is that when I've had cause to write to them (about our petition expiring) they responded within 3 weeks.

So how can they be so fast to respond to that, yet take weeks and weeks to schedule an appointment? Surely it can't take them that long!

DOS says that no interview date is scheduled for me. Bah.

I know I might be coming off as a drama queen, but COME ON! It really does seem like an unnecessary delay!! For a minute there it actually seemed like I might get Christmas or New Years settling in with my husband-to-be. Now that notion is TOTALLY slipping away. If I only knew WHEN the interview would be it would make the wait slightly easier.

I think I'm in denial about not getting a pre-Christmas interview. This waiting is the worst I've had to deal with so far.

[Chaz and Riggs 0]

I think I'm in denial about not getting a pre-Christmas interview. This waiting is the worst I've had to deal with so far.

Same here. Called DoS today. 10 minute hold, no interview.