Recent interviewees - do you have your passport yet??

[rascalcat 28]

The Embassy could have contacted DOS and sorted this out, as they need to receive the passport before they can forward it on to the courier. It shouldnt be the passport holder`s responsiblity to call DOS and make sure they send it to the Embassy. The Embassy should be dealing with this. What a mess and a confusion they are making! Why can they not do this?! they are both government departments. Awful lack of communication!

[rachaelk101 0]

I'm sorry if I sound like an idiot here but what does DOS have to do with it? I thought the embassy just attached the visa to the passport, and then the courier delivers it? Why would the DOS know more about it than the embassy themselves? Sorry if I'm missing something here...

[Laura. 90]

Hopefully someone here can answer this. When they deliver your Visa, do they require identification or just a signature? If they require ID, what can you use if all you have with your picture is your passport which is in the package being delivered? My fiance doesn't have any other government issued ID besides her passport. She has credit cards and a bank card in her name but nothing from her government or with her picture. Hoping some who have already had or will have their passports delivered in the near future could chime in and let me know. Hoping it's not going to be a problem. I'm sure I'm overthinking it, but better safe than sorry

Mine just arrived, at about 8:55am. Had to show identification and sign. I used my driving licence.

I found this on the DX website: "ID can be a valid driving license, passport or debit/credit card but must be in the ticket holders name."

So she will be fine with a bank card.

Edited August 22, 2013 by Laura C

[PearlyLemons 13]

The Embassy could have contacted DOS and sorted this out, as they need to receive the passport before they can forward it on to the courier. It shouldnt be the passport holder`s responsiblity to call DOS and make sure they send it to the Embassy. The Embassy should be dealing with this. What a mess and a confusion they are making! Why can they not do this?! they are both government departments. Awful lack of communication!

rascalcat - i think I'm having a similar issue! I got an email stating my passport is ready for courier and was given a tracking number and when I spoke to someone from the main DX hub, they told me I needed to arrange delivery with CSC(!!) and that I'd arranged to go at pick it up from a DX hub in South London, when I have paid (twice)( to have it delivered at home.

I am beyond stressed right now. They have given me the wrong number to contact someone at the embassy and I have no idea what to do now.

This is ridiculous.

** edit. Apparently it's now sitting at a hub in South London and I have to go and collect it. Even though I don't know where this is and I have to sort home delivery issues out with the embassy because apparently the embassy told them where to deliver my passport to. Does anyone know how I can get in contact with the embassy.

Edited August 22, 2013 by Jeff&Emmy

[jkinver 0]

Interviewed 15th of August, issued on CEAC 16th of August, still waiting i've heard nothing. Seems like as usual they don't do anything in chronological order.

[okieag 6]

Question for those with K1 and K2. Were the passports sent as one package? We got an email stating tracking details for the K2 applicant, but nothing for the K1. Spoke to a lady at DX, and she didnt know whether or not they were shipped together. Funny enough, the K2 didnt go to issued until 3 days after the K1 went to issued.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

The Embassy could have contacted DOS and sorted this out, as they need to receive the passport before they can forward it on to the courier. It shouldnt be the passport holder`s responsiblity to call DOS and make sure they send it to the Embassy. The Embassy should be dealing with this. What a mess and a confusion they are making! Why can they not do this?! they are both government departments. Awful lack of communication!

I'm sorry if I sound like an idiot here but what does DOS have to do with it? I thought the embassy just attached the visa to the passport, and then the courier delivers it? Why would the DOS know more about it than the embassy themselves? Sorry if I'm missing something here...

What does DOS have to do with this?

The Department of State is one of the major agencies of the US government. Think of them as the parent. Under them in their family is NVC and every consulate and embassy in the world, as well as all foreign relations with other governments. DOS issues visas, not the USCIS.

So anything entered on the embassy computers in London, Manila, Paris, Rio de Janerio, etc is a big database that can be accessed by DOS in the US. They can see when documents have been logged in as received by the embassy, when a letter went out, when interviews are scheduled, the result or notes from the interview, if additional security checks are required, and if the visa was issued (printed and glued in the passport).

When you call the embassy, I am not sure who is answering these various numbers since the change a few weeks ago. Before the end of July the £1.23/min. line you called was a contractor call center in Scotland. Those guys had limited access to your information. They weren't always even clear on the steps for the various visas They did not have as much access as Daddy DOS has. If you had an actual problem, they would give you an email code to have a consulate officer read your email and respond. It isn't clear to me if the call center was closed down and replaced by the online contact form. Now all these numbers some of you are calling are likely to switchboards and people who may be receptionists and know less about the new process than you. They may give you answers about non-immigrant visas. They may be guessing answers. They are probably not sitting in the room where they can go pull your folder and tell you what is physically in it. Your file is shifted from the interviewer to the area that prints the visas. Is that the next room or next floor?? Does it have a different stop in between for the ones with the black hole version of Administrative Processing where it takes weeks or months to clear? Who can best see all this movement and notations made by the last person to touch the file? ....the parent agency DOS.

If each person handling your file did not make notations or entries, then it may not be reflected on CEAC or may not be tracked properly on the Dept of State database.

Edited August 22, 2013 by Nich-Nick

[rascalcat 28]

rascalcat - i think I'm having a similar issue! I got an email stating my passport is ready for courier and was given a tracking number and when I spoke to someone from the main DX hub, they told me I needed to arrange delivery with CSC(!!) and that I'd arranged to go at pick it up from a DX hub in South London, when I have paid (twice)( to have it delivered at home.

I am beyond stressed right now. They have given me the wrong number to contact someone at the embassy and I have no idea what to do now.

This is ridiculous.

** edit. Apparently it's now sitting at a hub in South London and I have to go and collect it. Even though I don't know where this is and I have to sort home delivery issues out with the embassy because apparently the embassy told them where to deliver my passport to. Does anyone know how I can get in contact with the embassy?

Sounds like someone gave you the wrong info! Arrange delivery with DX by calling the main DX telephone number: 0844 371 0000. They have automated options, so if you have a tracking number you can enter it when asked. If you get nowhere with this number, call: 08712656666. I am sure this number is the DX department for London Embassy deliveries.

They should be able to look for your package on their computer system. If you have already paid to have it delivered then you should not need to collect this yourself. Try that second number i gave you, as they seemed to know more about what was going on, if they need to check something they will call you right back too.

Did you pay over the phone or was it an online payment for the delivery?

Edited August 22, 2013 by rascalcat

[rascalcat 28]

Interviewed 15th of August, issued on CEAC 16th of August, still waiting i've heard nothing. Seems like as usual they don't do anything in chronological order.

My interview was 12th August, and didnt show up as `Ready` for interview on the CEAC website on 16 August. So they were late updating! Then the status went to `Administrative Processing` on 19 August. Then it went to `Issued` on 20 August. And the Courier have only just received my package with my passport etc. in. They called me today to take the payment for delivey and they are delivering it tomorrow. The courier should have yours soon now. You may hear from them tomorrow or by Monday.

[rascalcat 28]

I heard from the courier today. They told me that they received my items for delivery this morning, and they took payment over the phone by card. (delivery fee was around £8)

They told me they are going to deliver it tomorrow. finally!

[Jeannie & Al 18]

I heard from the courier today. They told me that they received my items for delivery this morning, and they took payment over the phone by card. (delivery fee was around £8)

They told me they are going to deliver it tomorrow. finally!

Awesome news - congrats!

Our interview was 8/13 and still nothing yet..really hoping we hear today.

I have a dumb general UK question - if I'm counting out 10 business days which was how long the Embassy said it could take, Monday is a bank holiday in the UK...does anyone know if the embassy follow US holidays or UK holidays? I'm assuming a courier would still be open on a bank holiday but maybe not over there?

[rascalcat 28]

Hopefully someone here can answer this. When they deliver your Visa, do they require identification or just a signature? If they require ID, what can you use if all you have with your picture is your passport which is in the package being delivered? My fiance doesn't have any other government issued ID besides her passport. She has credit cards and a bank card in her name but nothing from her government or with her picture. Hoping some who have already had or will have their passports delivered in the near future could chime in and let me know. Hoping it's not going to be a problem. I'm sure I'm overthinking it, but better safe than sorry

The courier just spoke to over the phone today as they are delivering mine tomorrow. They told me that you can use driving licence, debit or credit card, or a bank statement. (just has to be something official with the recipient`s name on). I am guessing you could also use a birth certificate too.

[rascalcat 28]

Awesome news - congrats!

Our interview was 8/13 and still nothing yet..really hoping we hear today.

I have a dumb general UK question - if I'm counting out 10 business days which was how long the Embassy said it could take, Monday is a bank holiday in the UK...does anyone know if the embassy follow US holidays or UK holidays? I'm assuming a courier would still be open on a bank holiday but maybe not over there?

It is listed as a summer bank holiday on the London Embassy website at: http://london.usembassy.gov/ukpubhol.html

DX do not operate on Monday 26 August, as it is a bank holiday. But they resume as normal the next day on tuesday 27 August.

[rascalcat 28]

The courier system is confusing. Originally they told me to wait for a confirmation email from them. An email never arrived.

Its always best to call them yourself to sort these issues out, as you can explain exactly what you are waiting for to be delivered, what you were instructed to do (whether you payed online or was told at the interview to wait to be called), and how long ago you had your interview at the Embassy. As they seem to have different ways of dealing with the delivery, depending if you did things online or not. Personally i think they should scrap the online payment etc. for delivery online, as it doesnt seem very efficient. It would be better to pay at the Embassy on the same day as the interview for delivery, so that they can deliver straight to your door (none of this collecting at a hub business when you have already paid for delivery!). Plus the embassy always gave receipts for delivery payment which was nice, as you had automatic proof you paid, and the date etc. Much more professional and simple. I dont understand why they scrapped the courier payment desk at the embassy.

Edited August 22, 2013 by rascalcat

[ilovemypants 6]

well, all this confusion I am now starting to think about cancelling our wedding interviewed on the 5th and ceac is still stating 'ready' calling embassy is totally pointless, DoS have been a little more helpful but still can't tell us how long it might take and running dangerously close to our wedding day now for me to be able to get a flight and fly out there in time