Interview dilemma :(

[Victoria G 1]

I'm so confused and upset, I just had to share it;

Packet 4 through the post this morning, 9th August! Over the moon since I have a wedding ceremony planned for August 22nd. I called and paid the fee, and the guy on the phone said it can take 7-10 working days to get the visa and passport back...

Well, 10 working days is August 23rd...

So I couldn't even travel to the US and have my ceremony, come back get the visa, and then get married officially after re-entering later, cause I won't have my passport! After spending 20 minutes on hold, the man on the phone told me I had to email and try and re-arrange the date for either before the 9th or after the 22nd.

Gutting, I thought this would finally be over.

I've sent the e-mail, so I guess I just have to wait and see now.

[cathy2904 97]

Well I got my passport and visa back in two days even though they told me 10-14. BUT - (and I am on my phone but I am assuming you are doing a K1) you can't enter once the visa is in your passport and then leave. It is a one- time use and you would need another visa to enter again. Plus and just as important, if you have a wedding ceremony you will be married and so you can't enter as a fiancée. You would have to refile for a spouse visa. I would even be careful of having something that just looks like a wedding even if it has no legal basis. People have come unstuck doing that. You have to be free to marry and if anything suggest you are not you could be denied, either at the Embassy stage or at POE or even later when you come to AOS.

[cathy2904 97]

Ok I have re-read your post. You should get the visa back in time - no guarantee of course. If you can get an earlier interview that would be great - and it does happen. But a later interview would not work because of what I said above.

Good luck.

[Victoria G 1]

Not what I meant, at all! Haha I guess I didn't really make sense..

I'm not planning to enter with the visa in my passport, unless they can give me an earlier date. If they can't, I'm going to fly out on vacation, have my ceremony, but not sign anything legal, come home, get the visa, go back out and then do a courthouse legal signing.

Hope that makes sense!

It's just disappointing that I might have to do that instead of signing the papers at our ceremony!

[tru_loves_journey 117]

Good Luck to you and Congratulations on the upcoming wedding

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

Many churches won't "do a wedding" without the legal paperwork behind it. Check this before you go with plan B .

[Boiler 46,034]

If you get married before your K1 you would have to start again.

I know its obvious but just in case.

[Victoria G 1]

I already have, it's not being held at a church, and my officiant is happy to do it for us. Thanks for all the support and concerns though

[Boiler 46,034]

Most weddings are not held in Churches.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

7-10 working days to get the visa and passport back...

Well, 10 working days is August 23rd...

Most UK visas are back in 3-5 days. So no guarantees, but hope for you. My guess is by the following Wednesday since there's a weekend in there.

[Elora & Rob 15]

pretty much every person on this forum will tell you not to plan the wedding. good luck but you knew the risk when you booked it. there was no guarantee that your interview was going to take place before August 22nd.

Can you take the visa out of your passport. Surprised if true.

Edited July 29, 2012 by Elora&Robert

[kittylondon 47]

i think you'll be okay. normally i would say you'd almost definitely be - the only thing is the olympics. i know delays have been discussed in other threads, but i can say that i work at a law firm in london which uses the DX courier service (same as the embassy) daily, and we have been warned of delays to deliveries until end of august. but they haven't materialised yet. i think it's a cautious estimate they gave you, and you should be grateful for a fairly swift interview date that gives you a fighting chance of getting out there on time

good luck!

[uktousa 2]

My visa took seven days to recieve in hand. Had interview on 12 july and had visa in hand on 19th july. They say 7-10 days. but i got mine on 7th day

[LeftCoastLady 441]

My visa took seven days to recieve in hand. Had interview on 12 july and had visa in hand on 19th july. They say 7-10 days. but i got mine on 7th day

It's business days, so you actually received it on the fifth day.

[Ezekiel Chester 3]

I'm so confused and upset, I just had to share it;

Packet 4 through the post this morning, 9th August! Over the moon since I have a wedding ceremony planned for August 22nd. I called and paid the fee, and the guy on the phone said it can take 7-10 working days to get the visa and passport back...

Well, 10 working days is August 23rd...

So I couldn't even travel to the US and have my ceremony, come back get the visa, and then get married officially after re-entering later, cause I won't have my passport! After spending 20 minutes on hold, the man on the phone told me I had to email and try and re-arrange the date for either before the 9th or after the 22nd.

Gutting, I thought this would finally be over.

I've sent the e-mail, so I guess I just have to wait and see now.

Glad it finally all got sorted out! :D it was funny that they replied to your email when we met up! haha! It was fun to hang out with you! All the best to you and a the mr at least you know it's all going to be sorted in time for you to go and get married now