Change of Details Between Packet 3 and Interview

[LoneStarTyke 0]

Hello Everyone,

I have been viewing this site for a while now and I must say it is an invaluable source of info and support.

I have a specific question though which I hope someone can help with as it is really worrying me and I can't see any guidance relating to it on the site. I am waiting for my interview at the embassy having submitted all of the forms and had the medical, but the whole process has taken ages (as I am sure you can all sympathise!) and I don't want to do anything to delay matters further. However, I had made plans to move address in the next couple of weeks (originally thinking that the visa would be in my hands by now) and am becoming worried that a change of address will complicate matters and lead to me having to resubmit forms. Does anyone know what the process is for submitting a change of address between sending packet 3 and the allocation of an interview, and more importantly will a change of address scupper things? Has anyone else been through this process?

I dare say i am worrying about nothing but my nerves are rapidly becoming shot and I don't want to introduce delay given the rumours I have been reading about waiting times for interviews, and the wedding having been already booked for 21 Feb 2013.

Thanks in advance for any advice/reassurance.

Lea and Ian.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Hello Everyone,

I have been viewing this site for a while now and I must say it is an invaluable source of info and support.

I have a specific question though which I hope someone can help with as it is really worrying me and I can't see any guidance relating to it on the site. I am waiting for my interview at the embassy having submitted all of the forms and had the medical, but the whole process has taken ages (as I am sure you can all sympathise!) and I don't want to do anything to delay matters further. However, I had made plans to move address in the next couple of weeks (originally thinking that the visa would be in my hands by now) and am becoming worried that a change of address will complicate matters and lead to me having to resubmit forms. Does anyone know what the process is for submitting a change of address between sending packet 3 and the allocation of an interview, and more importantly will a change of address scupper things? Has anyone else been through this process?

I dare say i am worrying about nothing but my nerves are rapidly becoming shot and I don't want to introduce delay given the rumours I have been reading about waiting times for interviews, and the wedding having been already booked for 21 Feb 2013.

Thanks in advance for any advice/reassurance.

Lea and Ian.

You have to call the embassy number and give them the change. The only problem is that it may or may not be recorded properly to receive your interview letter. Address changes are not always efficient with London or USCIS for stateside changes. So call the Dept of State in the US to check on the status of the interview. They will know and tell you the date/time once it has been assigned. If you don't have the letter maybe a week after you find out the interview date from DOS, then call the embassy back and insist they send an email confirming the appointment.

Even if you don't have anything in hand, the guy at the head of the line at the embassy will have your name on the list of that day's appointments and should let you in. Explain you submitted an address change, but you still did not receive the letter and the Dept of State in the US told you the date.

If you haven't paid the visa fee over the phone yet, then do that at the same time you call with the address change. They are going to charge you for answering the phone, so might as well cover two things with one call.

London Embassy 0800 027 0051

DOS 202-663-1225 press 1, then 0

[LoneStarTyke 0]

Thanks for the feedback - like I said, this is such a useful site! The process is so short on feedback and guidance that it is comforting to hear the experiences and advice of others in the same boat.

I tend to be quite a linear person so it had not occurred to me to go ahead and pay the interview fee now - I had thought that I had to wait until the interview was scheduled. In fact the idea has me hoping now that if I go ahead and pay the fee will that help get the interview scheduled? Is there any evidence of paying for the interview helping to expedite matters I wonder? I'll let you know if I suddenly get a date in the next few days ;-)

What had been worrying me about the forms submitted for packet 3 was that there was a lot of lists therein of where I had lived and for how long, so I was concerned that a change of address might lead to me needing to fill them all out again. But then again I guess all we can do is provide the information correct at the time and then advise of changes. So I will go ahead with the move, and both call-in and write the address change as per your advice.

By the way, is the number you gave for the embassy an alternative to the 09042 number? I am very reluctant to call the premium number as £1.23 a minute is so exorbitant as to be practically criminal, and funds are short. But I guess I have to call it anyway now to pay the fee. Will call it in next day or so when the money is in... :-o

I.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Thanks for the feedback - like I said, this is such a useful site! The process is so short on feedback and guidance that it is comforting to hear the experiences and advice of others in the same boat.

I tend to be quite a linear person so it had not occurred to me to go ahead and pay the interview fee now - I had thought that I had to wait until the interview was scheduled. In fact the idea has me hoping now that if I go ahead and pay the fee will that help get the interview scheduled? Is there any evidence of paying for the interview helping to expedite matters I wonder? I'll let you know if I suddenly get a date in the next few days ;-)

What had been worrying me about the forms submitted for packet 3 was that there was a lot of lists therein of where I had lived and for how long, so I was concerned that a change of address might lead to me needing to fill them all out again. But then again I guess all we can do is provide the information correct at the time and then advise of changes. So I will go ahead with the move, and both call-in and write the address change as per your advice.

By the way, is the number you gave for the embassy an alternative to the 09042 number? I am very reluctant to call the premium number as £1.23 a minute is so exorbitant as to be practically criminal, and funds are short. But I guess I have to call it anyway now to pay the fee. Will call it in next day or so when the money is in... :-o

I.

The £1.23 a minute line is the one for paying fees and for changing addresses, asking questions, etc. that's why I suggested paying while you call to inform of an address change. Paying early has zero effect on interview assignments. If its been 3-4 weeks since your medical results arrived at the embassy, then you are about due an appointment. Have you also sent the DS-2001 form?

If you aren't in the new place yet to receive mail, then don't change address yet. There's a chance you'll get the letter before you move and give up the old place. If you are just moving out but flat mates will still be there to receive your mail, then no need to change the address. They can call you when it arrives. The real issue is getting that letter to get in the embassy, but I explained ways around that. At the interview, tell the officer you recently moved.

As far as the visa delivery, you fill out a paper with the courier after the interview. You can have it delivered anywhere you choose. It has nothing to do with address records from the embassy.

[LoneStarTyke 0]

Thanks again Nich-Nick.

To give a bit of background, I submitted my packet 3 in mid-October, had the medical 24th October, and sent off the DS-2001 at the start of November once I was sure I had all the documents in hand. So from what you say the interview was never going to be earlier than the start of December. The main hold-up introduced was high blood pressure at the medical plus some past medical history that the Knightsbridge Doctors wanted a report on from my GP. This took until this week to resolve and so my medical results went off yesterday and should have reached the embassy today.

Based on what I read on here about November being booked and December filling, I am now thinking that a January interview is probably realistic rather than pessimistic, so that is what got me worried as all the slack seems to be dissipating fast for the Feb wedding. I got to thinking that any form resubmissions or clarifications could cause problems. So anything that would provoke that is to be avoided.

The move was agreed with family months ago so I can spend Christmas with them before going to Texas in January. It is a lovely idea but I was prepared to change plans if it would cause any delay at this point, but it appears that that is not an issue so I will relax on that. I think best thing will be to set up a mail redirection for good measure, but otherwise go ahead with the move.

I just don't trust bureaucrats.....

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Thanks again Nich-Nick.

To give a bit of background, I submitted my packet 3 in mid-October, had the medical 24th October, and sent off the DS-2001 at the start of November once I was sure I had all the documents in hand. So from what you say the interview was never going to be earlier than the start of December. The main hold-up introduced was high blood pressure at the medical plus some past medical history that the Knightsbridge Doctors wanted a report on from my GP. This took until this week to resolve and so my medical results went off yesterday and should have reached the embassy today.

Based on what I read on here about November being booked and December filling, I am now thinking that a January interview is probably realistic rather than pessimistic, so that is what got me worried as all the slack seems to be dissipating fast for the Feb wedding. I got to thinking that any form resubmissions or clarifications could cause problems. So anything that would provoke that is to be avoided.

The move was agreed with family months ago so I can spend Christmas with them before going to Texas in January. It is a lovely idea but I was prepared to change plans if it would cause any delay at this point, but it appears that that is not an issue so I will relax on that. I think best thing will be to set up a mail redirection for good measure, but otherwise go ahead with the move.

I just don't trust bureaucrats.....

The timelines are all over the place but most wait 3 weeks, at least, after the last piece of the puzzle is in. In your case it's the held up medical. So count 3 weeks from today, add on a bit because of Thanksgiving next week. (they take American holidays.) That's when you might start looking for your letter or calling DOS to ask if you have an interview yet. So if you're lucky maybe the week of Dec 10. Normally the interview notice will be for an interview 4 weeks after the letter comes, but there's been several lately who got 2 weeks notice.

If you want to be proactive, send a postal letter to the IV Unit address this week saying your medical arrived Nov 14 after a delay. Tell them the date your forms were submitted. Tell them again that you have all your documents ready for the interview and would be happy to take a cancellation spot because you want to travel to American by Jan 1. Thank them profusely for considering your request. Give your phone number and e-mail address. Somebody got an appointment for the next day just this week or last because they said they could make any appointment on short notice. There was a cancellation and the embassy notified them. Your letter will bring your case to their attention again and asking to travel by Jan 1 may just get you a Dec interview. That would give you some breathing room.

Way back in 2008 when we were doing this, it took the embassy 3 weeks to send out packet 3 ( a real packet of forms and instructions) and 3 weeks after getting things in to send out an interview letter and it's still kinda the same. We made up a wedding date and travel date a month earlier than the real one just to push it forward a bit. They do try to help you meet your deadline when possible. If you don't tell them, then they just slot you in. If you said wedding next May, they would hold you longer because you don't need the visa as soon. So asking again won't hurt you and could help you get a sooner interview.

[LoneStarTyke 0]

Well, lo and behold I have got my interview letter already! Turned up this weekend with an 18th December interview date. I can only surmise that they must have started checks and form processing as soon as they got the DS-2001, and then allocated a date soon as the last part (the delayed medical results) came in.

Much relieved, and now am wondering if it is worth raising the change of address at all? With mail forwarding I can get hold of any further letters and can ask for the visa to be sent to new address anyway on the day of the interview as I understand it. Do they really need to know about a temporary address whilst I stay with family for the holidays?

Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel... :-)

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Well, lo and behold I have got my interview letter already! Turned up this weekend with an 18th December interview date. I can only surmise that they must have started checks and form processing as soon as they got the DS-2001, and then allocated a date soon as the last part (the delayed medical results) came in.

Much relieved, and now am wondering if it is worth raising the change of address at all? With mail forwarding I can get hold of any further letters and can ask for the visa to be sent to new address anyway on the day of the interview as I understand it. Do they really need to know about a temporary address whilst I stay with family for the holidays?

Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel... :-)

Normally US government mail says Do Not Forward so it will return to the embassy if you no longer live at that address. But there is nothing else to be mailed to you now that you have the letter so I personally wouldn't bother telling them you moved. Or just tell the person conducting the interview that FYI you have relocated to the parent's house until you leave for the US. He can write it in your file if he wants to.

[LoneStarTyke 0]

Hi All,

I just wanted to update and let you know that I got the visa approved and have it at last! Thanks again for the advice and moral support. I have attached her a copy of the review I just submitted for my interview experience at the London Embassy:

Overall a very smooth process.

I decided to book a hotel room at the Wembley Travelodge in the Ealing area for the night before, since a search had come up with that as the cheapest option and for a £5 charge I could have 24 hour parking so could leave all my stuff in the car for the day rather than worrying about stowing things at the Chemist that everyone mentions. The next day I took a 7am tube train in from Hanger Lane Station to Bond Street Station and walked the short way to the Embassy from there.

On approaching the main entrance (having arrived at around 7.50 am for an 8.30 am appointment) I joined the queue to the right side of the entrance (which by chance turned out to be the right one as I hadn't noticed the signs indicating this) and was surprised to see that there were people already in the embassy and already being admitted. Whilst standing in the queue my appointment letter was checked by one of the staff, and then as I got to the front of the queue I was asked to walk over to a staff member who was checking passports and letters and then directing people to stand outside the security booth to the right of the main entrance.

When indicated by the guards, I was asked to enter the booth and place all my items in a box for scanning. Here was my only scare of the day in that one of the guards objected to me having a car key. I explained that it was not an electronic key (my car being a 10 year-old Ka) and after some discussion it was agreed to let it in - so I would definitely warn anyone to be careful and check that any car key you have is definitely of the old-fashioned variety!

From there I exited the booth into the Embassy compound and was asked to walk around to the right hand side of the building where the visa entrance is. Up some steps and through a glass door and I was at a desk with a friendly lady checking my appointment letter and directing me up some stairs and into the main waiting/interview hall.

In the hall it is pretty much like being in an airport lounge - at the reception desk some tags had been stuck onto my appointment letter indicating my appointment number, and after taking a seat you can see/hear which numbers are being called to which interview windows. This is the one bit that got a tad tedious simply because of the constant stream of notifications from the electronic announcement system with the american accent - "number Nxxx to window number xx" and so on ad nauseum... But I must say it is all very clear what is going on, and I got the impression that if you were to miss your call they simply keep re-announcing it until you turn up (resorting to calling specific names if necessary). The vast majority of cases have N numbers and these seem pretty random, but for the K1 visa we have an I number and these are sequential so you can see your number slowly coming up. Having got into the waiting area at 8.10 am I was sat waiting for about 1 and a half hours before being called to window number 1.

Once there I was served by a very friendly man who simply checked my paperwork and asked me to sign a few things, and asked for as much supporting paperwork as I had for the affidavit of support. For me this step was all sorted in about 10 minutes which surprised me as I had been watching the previous 2 I numbers who had gone to window 1 and they both took over 30 minutes - but then that always seems to happen to me in Post offices and banks too, i.e. I am always behind cases that seem more complicated than mine :-)

Once this part was completed I was asked to return to the seating area and wait to be called to a window for interview. This is the one part that seemed a little chaotic in that suddenly there were a lot more people admitted to the hall and people were asked to move from one part of the area to another and made to sit closer together. Accordingly, the calls for appointments got much swifter so this was the part where I felt I needed to stay alert to make sure I heard my name called. But I only had to wait about 10 minutes before being called to a window that was around a corner in a quieter part of the visa area.

Here I was interviewed briefly by a friendly american consulate officer after being asked to swear that the information I had provided was true. The questions were about: the relationship and how it had started; my fiancee's close family and what they did; how we stay in touch with each other; what my fiancee does for a living; what I do for a living; and finally where we were intending to live in the USA. Then abruptly the officer declared the visa approved and stamped some paperwork before handing me a pink form to take to the courier desk located by the original entrance into the interview hall.

I paid for the basic courier delivery which they informed me would take up to 2 weeks to arrive since processing of the visa would take 5 to 7 working days and the holidays were upon us. But in fact I got the visa delivered 10 days later even allowing for the xmas holidays, so it was pretty fast and I notice that the visa issuance date was 2 days after the interview.

So, overall it was a pleasant experience and nothing to worry about. I would concur with those who say that there is no point taking much in the way of photos and skype logs and emails and such like as I was asked for none of it. I was out of the embassy by 11.15 am and off to see the sights of London and look forward to Christmas and to a new life at last with my gorgeous Lea!!

Just a few other things to mention in closing:

I had been expecting to be given the package that we need for our first entry into the USA at the time of the interview, but just to confirm that this arrives with the passport once it is all approved.

Also, the chest x-ray was given to me on a CD-ROM by the guy at window 1 when we went through the paperwork at the embassy.

And finally, all that stuff about changing address didn't seem to matter at all, although I did in fact decide to email them about it before the interview. I mention this because I had also made a couple of mistakes on my initial forms that I told them about, and also I had not answered some of the questions in the way that the templates on this site indicate - so I guess I am saying don't get too hung up about the forms and such as I get the impression it isn't such a big deal to them, and if they do have any queries they will let you know.

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas, and all the best for 2013!!

Lea and Ian.