Changing interview date with new system

[Kate33 4]

So, I just got a letter from the embassy giving me my appointment date. I had contacted them via the contact form telling them I would be out of the country from 13-21st September so couldn't have an interview during that time.

Guess what? They gave me an interview on 16th September.

Does anyone know how to change the interview date with the new system? I think supposedly you should be able to do it on the AIS interface, but I can't work out how. This is what the FAQ says:

You can cancelled [sic] or reschedule appointments only if the appointment time is in the future. To cancel or reschedule an appointment you must sign-in, go to the "My Account" home page, and select either the "Cancel Appointment" or "Reschedule Appointment" links.

However there in no 'My account' home page when I log into AIS, and nowhere is my appointment date listed...

Please help! Another infuriating hiccup to an altogether tedious process. Sigh.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Maybe that function is only available to the non-immigrants who schedule their appointment with the same tool. I would use the contact form to request a change of appointment.

When I read your "13-21st September", I have to admit I thought it was some British way of writing 9-21-13 (Sept 21, 2013). They could have been trying to schedule you before that date.

[Kate33 4]

Thanks. They never reply to messages sent on the contact form though... at least not to me. I wrote "13 September - 21 September" on the email so I don't think that is the confusion.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Thanks. They never reply to messages sent on the contact form though... at least not to me. I wrote "13 September - 21 September" on the email so I don't think that is the confusion.

Gotcha. Then not the reason. I had seen you posted 13-21st September is two different threads, so thought that's what you had sent them too.

[jola83 19]

I thought this too but ,I think they will reply if the answer isn't already on the website(like they state)

Good luck,the embassy In my opinion seems real slack ,I actually thought this from when I was sent packet 3 and it had a piece of sticky tape on the back on the envelope.I know it's only a envelope but working for a office that sends out thousandsof letters/parcels on a weekly basis.I found it really unprofessional and slack.it just wouldn't happen where I work .and I work for a far less important place than the embassy.

Thanks. They never reply to messages sent on the contact form though... at least not to me. I wrote "13 September - 21 September" on the email so I don't think that is the confusion.

[bricklane 0]

So, I just got a letter from the embassy giving me my appointment date. I had contacted them via the contact form telling them I would be out of the country from 13-21st September so couldn't have an interview during that time.

Guess what? They gave me an interview on 16th September.

Does anyone know how to change the interview date with the new system? I think supposedly you should be able to do it on the AIS interface, but I can't work out how. This is what the FAQ says:

You can cancelled [sic] or reschedule appointments only if the appointment time is in the future. To cancel or reschedule an appointment you must sign-in, go to the "My Account" home page, and select either the "Cancel Appointment" or "Reschedule Appointment" links.

However there in no 'My account' home page when I log into AIS, and nowhere is my appointment date listed...

Please help! Another infuriating hiccup to an altogether tedious process. Sigh.

I'm sorry this happened to you! There's something up with the Embassy right now, nobody is having their requested dates honoured and the Embassy is almost impossible to get ahold of. I requested a change of address and I still had all my mail sent to the wrong one, and they ignored the fact that I planned to fly out on the 27th. Honestly I would call the non-immigrant number and try to swing a conversation with a higher level telephone operator.

[Kate33 4]

Thanks all. An update, mainly as a resource for those who also have to go through this.

1) As Nich-Nick suggested, the function to change your interview date via AIS seems to be only for people who originally scheduled their interview on AIS - i.e. non-immigrant visa applicants.

2) On the embassy website visa contact form, there is a check-box for those who want to reschedule their interview. I obviously used this channel right away. However, I wasn't just going to rely on this! In the past they have ignored and failed to reply to information I have submitted via this channel - my change of address, for example. Supposedly they reply within 5 working days but this has not been my experience. In addition, my assigned interview date (of which I only received notification yesterday) is only 3 working days away, so there is some urgency to this!

3) Form IV19 (on the visa forms section of the website; the appointment letter directs you to this) specifically says that in order to reschedule an appointment, you have to request a change in writing to the embassy's snail mail address. (Despite this topic appearing on the visa contact form list of options - make of that what you will.) So, in order to ensure my bases were covered, I sent them a letter yesterday via overnight 'signed-for' delivery.

4) I called the visa information and appointment services telephone number - 02036086998. If you go through to the immigrant visa options, there doesn't seem to be a way to talk to a person. So after a number of attempts I chose the non-immigrant visa option. Just press yes when they ask you if you have a DS number and you should be able to get through to someone. The guy I spoke to was perfectly nice but said he didn't have authority to change my appointment. He gave me an email address to write to, which he promised would be more direct and reliable than the contact form. We will see. No reply yet.

This is very frustrating. Of course one cannot pick and choose interview dates, but I specifically informed they of my unavailability during this time with plenty of notice. It is an unavoidable work commitment abroad, which I cannot miss unless I want to lose my job!

I'm sorry this happened to you! There's something up with the Embassy right now, nobody is having their requested dates honoured and the Embassy is almost impossible to get ahold of. I requested a change of address and I still had all my mail sent to the wrong one, and they ignored the fact that I planned to fly out on the 27th. Honestly I would call the non-immigrant number and try to swing a conversation with a higher level telephone operator.

Yes, bricklane, they didn't register my change of address either, the letter was sent to the old address... sigh.

[Kate33 4]

Saw I had an update on CEAC today so I just called the DoS. New interview date of 8th Oct. Way later than we would have liked (wedding was planned for 12th so no way that will happen now), especially frustrating as would have been earlier if were not for their screw-up, but hey, at least it is a date I can actually attend! 347 days from initial filing to interview :-(

Who knows which of the channels we used was the one that worked in notifying them.

What's the bet the notification letter from the embassy arrives in 2 weeks time, having been initially sent to my old address? :-)