Waiting on Visa after sending required Documents after Interview

[rrokitta 1]

The interview was approved pending my fiancé submitting her 'original copy' of her divorce decree along with her and her daughter's passports. We sent everything by registered mail and it was received by the embassy on July 29th. We have been waiting ever since and not a peep from the embassy with no way of contacting them. We do not know what to do. I sent email to them the week after and they said they haven't received our documents from their postal department. I sent another email asking for status Almost 2 weeks ago and no response from them. Is this normal to experience?

[Ning 619]

The interview was approved pending my fiancé submitting her 'original copy' of her divorce decree along with her and her daughter's passports. We sent everything by registered mail and it was received by the embassy on July 29th. We have been waiting ever since and not a peep from the embassy with no way of contacting them. We do not know what to do. I sent email to them the week after and they said they haven't received our documents from their postal department. I sent another email asking for status Almost 2 weeks ago and no response from them. Is this normal to experience?

Have your fiancé buy a special pin number from any Thai post office that will allow her to call directly inside the embassy to the I V unit.

What email address are you using?

[rrokitta 1]

Thanks! I'll ask her to do that today. I've been sending emails to Visasbkk@state.gov.

Have your fiancé buy a special pin number from any Thai post office that will allow her to call directly inside the embassy to the I V unit.

What email address are you using?

[Ning 619]

Thanks! I'll ask her to do that today. I've been sending emails to Visasbkk@state.gov.

Try this one. visasbkk2@state.gov

The one you have used is ok but is screened by the staff. The one I gave you goes directly to the officers unless something changed.

The embassy sees about 700 cases per month. Many are not immigration based. This means the staff is very busy. I hope that helps you understand why it takes so long.

Still they have time for your case of course so a nudge may help get things moving.

[Karee 4,191]

Try this one. visasbkk2@state.gov

The one you have used is ok but is screened by the staff. The one I gave you goes directly to the officers unless something changed.

The embassy sees about 700 cases per month. Many are not immigration based. This means the staff is very busy. I hope that helps you understand why it takes so long.

Still they have time for your case of course so a nudge may help get things moving.

I was never able to get a response from them using the email without the '2'. They seemed to respond fairly quickly to the email with the '2'. Keep in mind this was back in 2009.

[rrokitta 1]

Thank you - just sent another email to the alias 2. Tomorrow my fiancé will purchase the pin …. Today the post office told her not to buy bc the pin is only for starting the visa process.

I was never able to get a response from them using the email without the '2'. They seemed to respond fairly quickly to the email with the '2'. Keep in mind this was back in 2009.

[Karee 4,191]

Thank you - just sent another email to the alias 2. Tomorrow my fiancé will purchase the pin …. Today the post office told her not to buy bc the pin is only for starting the visa process.

I forgot. Make sure the subject line is: 'IV Inquiry BNK2013XXXXXXX'. With the BNK number being your case number. You should have the case number from the letter that NVC sent you.

[rrokitta 1]

I did put the "case# BNK XXXXX" in subj line but not IV Inquiry. Should I send another email or will the case # alone suffice? I have sent a few emails over the last week with no response. I'm at a loss on what to do. I do understand how swamped the dept could be, but they have had our documents and passports since Jul 29th - and this is our last step. So frustrating and a complete nightmare of a situation to be this helpless and in the dark. Argh.

I forgot. Make sure the subject line is: 'IV Inquiry BNK2013XXXXXXX'. With the BNK number being your case number. You should have the case number from the letter that NVC sent you.

[Karee 4,191]

I did put the "case# BNK XXXXX" in subj line but not IV Inquiry. Should I send another email or will the case # alone suffice? I have sent a few emails over the last week with no response. I'm at a loss on what to do. I do understand how swamped the dept could be, but they have had our documents and passports since Jul 29th - and this is our last step. So frustrating and a complete nightmare of a situation to be this helpless and in the dark. Argh.

That should do the trick. As long as you have that case number in there somewhere, they know you have pending business with the embassy.

It allows them to filter out frivolous emails like "I met this girl in a bar last night, how do I get her a visa to the U.S." I'd bet they get alot of those.

[Ning 619]

I did put the "case# BNK XXXXX" in subj line but not IV Inquiry. Should I send another email or will the case # alone suffice? I have sent a few emails over the last week with no response. I'm at a loss on what to do. I do understand how swamped the dept could be, but they have had our documents and passports since Jul 29th - and this is our last step. So frustrating and a complete nightmare of a situation to be this helpless and in the dark. Argh.

I know this is difficult because we went thru something similar. My husband asked the embassy to help move things along and pointed out to them that they had been interviewing people while leaving us in the dark. We were stunned when they said "just pick your own date and come to the embassy so we can finish the case". We went in within a few days and they went out of their way to help us. I hope something like this will happen for you.

Find a way to remind them of how long you have waited while asking them to help. They aren't too busy to do that I am sure.

I know the phone number has been used for situations other than what the post office says. The questions asked are supposed to general in nature but if it were me I would but the pin and do what I need to do. They could only say no.

[Karee 4,191]

I know this is difficult because we went thru something similar. My husband asked the embassy to help move things along and pointed out to them that they had been interviewing people while leaving us in the dark. We were stunned when they said "just pick your own date and come to the embassy so we can finish the case". We went in within a few days and they went out of their way to help us. I hope something like this will happen for you.

Find a way to remind them of how long you have waited while asking them to help. They aren't too busy to do that I am sure.

I know the phone number has been used for situations other than what the post office says. The questions asked are supposed to general in nature but if it were me I would but the pin and do what I need to do. They could only say no.

Back in 2009 you could just submit additional documentation in person between 1-3 pm on Mondays and Wednesdays. That's what we did and they gave my wife the visa the next day. I was even allowed to go in with her to submit the additional documentation, although I was not allowed to be at the initial interview.

Edited August 21, 2013 by Karee

[Sud Yaud 14]

I have had similar experience, it took a week for them to respond me with phone call from officer to update on my case status twice...that was when i submitted passport after they said ok to send in.

I suppose you sent thru registered mail and EMS, i sent inquiry to email visasbkkiv@state.gov with the subject line Karee suggested and got response sometimes in 2-3 days, sometimes a week.....good luck

Edited August 21, 2013 by Sud Yaud

[rrokitta 1]

Finally got a response yesterday. They said that they are waiting on a document … which was sent to them. Either way, Document was sent and the embassy will receive it on Thursday. Fingers crossed that we do not have to wait 3.5 weeks to process. My Fiance is going to call tomorrow afternoon using the PIN access. Feels much better to know the Embassy will have everything necessary to process the Visas. Phew!

Will update soon - Thank you for all the advice!

That should do the trick. As long as you have that case number in there somewhere, they know you have pending business with the embassy.

It allows them to filter out frivolous emails like "I met this girl in a bar last night, how do I get her a visa to the U.S." I'd bet they get alot of those.

[Karee 4,191]

Finally got a response yesterday. They said that they are waiting on a document … which was sent to them. Either way, Document was sent and the embassy will receive it on Thursday. Fingers crossed that we do not have to wait 3.5 weeks to process. My Fiance is going to call tomorrow afternoon using the PIN access. Feels much better to know the Embassy will have everything necessary to process the Visas. Phew!

Will update soon - Thank you for all the advice!

I wouldn't keep paying for those PINs if you can just email them and get a response. Also, for the rest of us, which email address did they respond to?

[rrokitta 1]

Last week the embassy contacted my fiancé and said that the wrong document was sent - marriage certificate and not certified divorce decree. We know which form was sent and this was a shock to us. No sense in arguing with them, so my fiancé went down to her local office and got the necessary documents and sent them ASAP. Documents were received from the embassy last Thurs. They said to her that they cannot respond to further emails, which I am not sure I understand this comment to her. Maybe they said they cannot receive by email. Not 100% sure.

Knowing they have everything necessary to process; does anyone know how long this could take to process and send passports with visa? or, how long should I wait until I email them and ask - or should I even email taking risk of upsetting them?

So frustrating.

I wouldn't keep paying for those PINs if you can just email them and get a response. Also, for the rest of us, which email address did they respond to?