Frustration with the Grosvenor Square People

[DukeOfYork 28]

Ok, I need to vent and possibly look for encouragement, especially if someone here has gone through something similar.

On 4/6 my fiancee sent Packet 3 back. She didn't send the checklist b/c all wasn't received yet (my I-134 and her police certificate).

On 4/10 she sent the checklist as both docs were on the way.

On 4/20 London logged receipt of Packet 3, but not the checklist.

I called DOS every day since then. On May 6, they logged receipt of her medical results (the medical was on 4/29). Still marked as ineligible as no checklist.

On 5/12 she sent another checklist, this time requesting a return receipt. On 5/14 it was signed by L Koko at the embassy.

On 5/18 I called DOS and was told that she was still ineligible. Still no checklist.

On 5/20 she paid 10 pounds for the email code. She emailed the embassy and they responded saying they didn't have the checklist, but it was ok to scan and email.

On 5/21 she scanned and emailed the checklist. They responded the same day saying they received it and forwarded it to the Immigration unit.

Today on 5/24 I called, she's still "ineligible" for an interview.

In hindsight, she should have sent the checklist with Packet 3, but what's done is done. Can the folks at Grosvenor Square be trusted to not lose anything? How long before they realize they have 3 copies of her checklist and grant her an interview??? Are we being unreasonably impatient?

Thanks for reading/listening/responding.

/rant

[Jewel-8 21]

In hindsight, she should have sent the checklist with Packet 3, but what's done is done. Can the folks at Grosvenor Square be trusted to not lose anything? How long before they realize they have 3 copies of her checklist and grant her an interview??? Are we being unreasonably impatient?

Thanks for reading/listening/responding.

/rant

It took them about 2-3 weeks to log anything that was sent them on our case. They will probably process the email within the next couple of days, but they might not schedule interviews until mid-June. I hope I'm wrong and you get the interview date soon!

[Nik+Heather 121]

I don't have anything useful to say, as you've already done all the things that I would recommend.

I know how I would have felt if the same thing happened to us. I was through the roof with impatience, and we didn't have any major hiccups (except Nik not returning the paper work the same day he got packet 3!!! ARGH! )

[amykathleen2005 441]

I would send all the forms and the checklist again together. As you have correctly stated you should have waited and sent them together. The embassy and USCIS are infamous for not being able to correctly match up things that were seperated.

Good luck.

[DukeOfYork 28]

They have all the forms in the system already (except the checklist). If she sends everything again all at once, that might push everything back. But I will consider suggesting it. Everything was going smoothly until now. Ugh.

[FrostyMist 1]

I sent my forms separate to my checklist, and didn't have any problems. (This was back in January, though).

Once I sent in my checklist, it took about three weeks for me to be eligible for an interview, and then another week after that before I got my interview date (which was for four weeks after that).

The embassy seem to be really slow about this sort of thing, and they do tend to get really confused if you do things even slightly different to the "norm". I wish I had some advise, but the it sounds like you've done everything you possibly can.

At this point, I think the only thing you can do is to look to see how long people are waiting between checklist and receiving interview date, and use that as an estimate for how long you can expect to wait.

[DukeOfYork 28]

It's been six weeks since she sent the 1st checklist.

Almost 2 since she sent it the second time.

3 days since it was emailed.

I almost want to fly to London and just take a copy to them and watch them put it in the file.

[DukeOfYork 28]

So I called the DOS for my daily dose of disappointment and spoke to a rather rude lady who would just tell me that there's no interview date. I asked if she was marked as eligible and apparently was too lazy to actually check for me. She ended up hanging up on me because she didn't want to answer more questions. Unfortunately, she didn't give me her name.

So I called back and got her again. She put me on hold after giving her the case number, I waited...waited...waited, then she hung up.

After about 10 minutes, I called back and spoke to a nice lady who gave me her name and seemed upset I was treated that way by the other person.

The checklist is now in the system and she's marked eligible for an interview! No date yet, but I finally feel like something is happening!

[Nik+Heather 121]

I think it's really sad that some of the DOS operators are so miserable. Nik really hates phone calls with people he doesn't know (just like DOS) and if you were to combine that with the potential to get someone rude like that, I don't think he'd maintain the persistence you did to call back multiple times.

Anyway, I'm glad that there's some forward progress showing here, and that you'll get an interview date soon!

[Adrian+Mike 2]

So I called the DOS for my daily dose of disappointment and spoke to a rather rude lady who would just tell me that there's no interview date. I asked if she was marked as eligible and apparently was too lazy to actually check for me. She ended up hanging up on me because she didn't want to answer more questions. Unfortunately, she didn't give me her name.

So I called back and got her again. She put me on hold after giving her the case number, I waited...waited...waited, then she hung up.

After about 10 minutes, I called back and spoke to a nice lady who gave me her name and seemed upset I was treated that way by the other person.

The checklist is now in the system and she's marked eligible for an interview! No date yet, but I finally feel like something is happening!

We were going through exactly the same thing when we were checking to see if we were eligible. The majority of the time we got through to someone who really coulden't give a flying monkey about our case, our questions or even feel any compassion about what we were going through. Glad they've finally indicated your eligible now though!

[DukeOfYork 28]

We were going through exactly the same thing when we were checking to see if we were eligible. The majority of the time we got through to someone who really coulden't give a flying monkey about our case, our questions or even feel any compassion about what we were going through. Glad they've finally indicated your eligible now though!

From looking at your timeline, I can see that you went through the same frustration as we are going through. I haven't decided if I'm going to call again tomorrow or try to give it a few days.

With the fee increases, I've warned my fiancee that she might be getting a letter from the embassy about that so she doesn't get her hopes up too soon.

There have been a few helpful and kind people at DOS, but the woman I talked to the first two times this morning was really terrible. I could tell she didn't want to do the work it took to answer any questions. The second one even commented there are a lot of screens to look through, but was happy to do so to get me an answer. Too bad the first lady didn't give her name or I'd report her.

Thanks for your encouraging words. I find that I have to encourage my fiancee every day about this, so it's nice to get some from you guys!

[nickm 1]

When i sent of my packet 3 docs, they lost the entire thing, and after 5 weeks of hearing nothing i contacted the embassy and they sorted it out through emails. I expressed my wish to be in the US by the 30th of may and they did acknowledge this and gave me an interview in time to be able to travel.

You will be given your interview very soon, it seems they are assigning them in blocks.

But when you do get the interview the time will start to fly, it probably doesnt seems like it now but it really does. I feel your frustration, having been through it myself just a few weeks ago.

On Sunday i will be leaving the UK and my interview was only last week.

Seriously, things change very fast at this stage, you go from total "what is taking so long" to "Oh my god, i have so much to do and nowhere near enough time to do it"...

It will all come together.

And in a little of defense for the Embassy people, they do process a hell of alot of people so mistakes will unfortunatly happen, also they have been nothing but courtieous and helpful to me so i have no complaints.

Good luck and im sure all will work out for you.

Edited May 26, 2010 by nickm

[SunDrop 59]

Fee increase letters have been sent. I'm guessing it's interviews after June 1st. I'm gutted because that's $700 for us, instead of $262. Ouch...

[DukeOfYork 28]

Thanks Nickm, that makes me feel a lot better.

Sundrop, you better pray the pound starts regaining it's value. $700 is now 487.51 pounds. Why does the dollar have to get strong now?

[DukeOfYork 28]

Seriously, things change very fast at this stage, you go from total "what is taking so long" to "Oh my god, i have so much to do and nowhere near enough time to do it"...

And you were right! I called DOS this morning, the interview is scheduled for 11 June at 9am! I called her and woke her up (she's been working night shifts) and asked her what she was doing at 9am on June 11? She was still groggy from being woken and couldn't quite understand what I was asking her, so I just her interview was June 11 at 9. She paused, then said she'd have to call me back. Then she called super happy!

Things are definitely moving fast now.