July 2014 Interviews

[LifeOnHold 186]

Heyyy everyone....

So I haven't really been on for a few days. Between the end of the school year, the World Cup, and getting the house ready for my hubby (aka spending 24/7 at Home Depot), I haven't had any time to go online. Tomorrow he has his medical exam. I'll post any useful information on here.

On the 30th I am leaving for Portugal to meet with him, then we head to Paris for the interview in mid July. If all goes well, he can fly back with me on July 30th. Everything still seems unreal. But we're getting giddy about finally seeing each other in a week. Whoooo

[LifeOnHold 186]

August interviews should start scheduling late next week. I honestly don't know how much help the Embassy can be especially since they don't have your completed case yet and you haven't applied for an expedite.... we're almost there. August is sooner than it seems!

Was waiting on your Blog post about Case Complete. I stopped telling people about the little steps in the process because they kept thinking he was coming (it's not that easy people!!). But just like you, the couple of days before my Case Complete I was a wreck, a mess, falling apart, desperate, insane, psycho.... And then it happened.

Anyway, can't wait for your interview date!!!

[MoBar65 520]

Heyyy everyone....

So I haven't really been on for a few days. Between the end of the school year, the World Cup, and getting the house ready for my hubby (aka spending 24/7 at Home Depot), I haven't had any time to go online. Tomorrow he has his medical exam. I'll post any useful information on here.

On the 30th I am leaving for Portugal to meet with him, then we head to Paris for the interview in mid July. If all goes well, he can fly back with me on July 30th. Everything still seems unreal. But we're getting giddy about finally seeing each other in a week. Whoooo

Just wondering. So the medical will be done in Portugal and the interview in Paris? Is that acceptable by the Consulate in Paris?

[LifeOnHold 186]

Just wondering. So the medical will be done in Portugal and the interview in Paris? Is that acceptable by the Consulate in Paris?

It is. The US Consulate in Portugal doesn't do Immigration Visa interviews anymore so the closest Consulate is Paris. It wouldn't be fair to make everyone fly to Paris just for the medical exam and then again for the interview. So there is only one doctor in the entire country that the Consulate approves and that everyone has to go to for their medical.

[lucybelle 453]

@tico - Man I'm so sorry to read about your job No advice, but I hope everything turns out well!

[Sukie 1,464]

Hey Sukie,

When do you expect Julie's visa to be mailed to you by? Have you already booked flights, if so, for how long after your interview date?

Thanks!

And, have they responded yet about you attending the interview?

Hi back!

Our interview is July 1st, and I expect we'd have her passport in hand on either the 7th or the 8th. We are arranging for flights the week of the 14th, but don't have them yet. Our other two Sydney Consulate compatriots for July 1st interviews are traveling on July 16th and 18th.

And NO!!! they have not responded about my attending the interview, and I am starting to panic. We wrote them on June 12th and got an Auto-reply on the 20th. We wrote again on the 23rd and got an auto-reply right away - but no answers. Snikit15 got her permission 4 days after she emailed (and that was after WE emailed), so I'm starting to be very, very paranoid.

If we don't hear anything by Friday, I am going to try to call them - and I'll go through the US Citizen's Services section if I have to. If we don't hear anything from anyone, we are going to bring copies of our emails to them and their auto-replies and fall on the mercy of the guard.

I will be very very angry if they have fobbed us off for some reason.

Sukie

[Fabian&Rossy 120]

Wishing you an easy, relaxed, trouble-free interview.. good luck!!!!!

Good luck!

Thank you so much to both! I don't think I'll get any work done tomorrow 'cause I'll be staring at my phone every minute, waiting for my wife to call with the news.

Lakehouse, what's your smiley holding in its hand??

[cscrum318 56]

Hi back!

Our interview is July 1st, and I expect we'd have her passport in hand on either the 7th or the 8th. We are arranging for flights the week of the 14th, but don't have them yet. Our other two Sydney Consulate compatriots for July 1st interviews are traveling on July 16th and 18th.

And NO!!! they have not responded about my attending the interview, and I am starting to panic. We wrote them on June 12th and got an Auto-reply on the 20th. We wrote again on the 23rd and got an auto-reply right away - but no answers. Snikit15 got her permission 4 days after she emailed (and that was after WE emailed), so I'm starting to be very, very paranoid.

If we don't hear anything by Friday, I am going to try to call them - and I'll go through the US Citizen's Services section if I have to. If we don't hear anything from anyone, we are going to bring copies of our emails to them and their auto-replies and fall on the mercy of the guard.

I will be very very angry if they have fobbed us off for some reason.

Sukie

Are you buying later tickets just to be safe?

We have family coming in to town (in Florida) so I want my husband to fly to the USA on July 31st or August 1st but I am nervous to buy tickets in case his passport doesn't arrive in time.

We are in Western Australia so it may take even longer to get to us :/

[MoBar65 520]

It is. The US Consulate in Portugal doesn't do Immigration Visa interviews anymore so the closest Consulate is Paris. It wouldn't be fair to make everyone fly to Paris just for the medical exam and then again for the interview. So there is only one doctor in the entire country that the Consulate approves and that everyone has to go to for their medical.

Good to hear. I was just concerned you missed this latest hoop. Soon I hope your screen name will no longer apply to you.

[bdrew612 1,071]

Was waiting on your Blog post about Case Complete. I stopped telling people about the little steps in the process because they kept thinking he was coming (it's not that easy people!!). But just like you, the couple of days before my Case Complete I was a wreck, a mess, falling apart, desperate, insane, psycho.... And then it happened.

Anyway, can't wait for your interview date!!!

The weekend before CC I completely fell apart, so much so it scared my husband. He'd never seen me so defeated before. Him not being here to comfort me made it worse for both of us. Ugh lol

I'm oddly calm about waiting for the interview date, even though the date could potentially cause chaos (conflicting travel plans for our anniversary)!

Thank you!!! :-) I love seeing my blog map light up with all the countries where people are reading from! No one from Russia yet though... lol

[Sukie 1,464]

Are you buying later tickets just to be safe?

We have family coming in to town (in Florida) so I want my husband to fly to the USA on July 31st or August 1st but I am nervous to buy tickets in case his passport doesn't arrive in time.

We are in Western Australia so it may take even longer to get to us :/

When Julie needed to get her passport copy certified to apply for an ITIN (which was denied by the IRS - the twits), she received it back in 3 days flat. They say 5-7 working days for the visa on the website - 1-3 for the sticker to be generated and 3-5 for the Express Mail.

But I just read a very confusing story about a woman who had her interview in Sydney on May 20th, was given the "You are approved" piece of paper, but her passport is STILL not back to her. She went into AP - or so she was told, and then they told her it WASN'T in AP, but they were still reviewing. I think her folder must have ended up on the bottom of some pile. She is devastated, as you can imagine!

So I don't think we can count on anything, really, until the passport is back in our hands. That said, we are still trying to plan for a 15th or 16th getaway. We are also shipping a cat back to the US, so I'm trying to do the logistics for ALL of us!

Sukie in Oz

[r060106 109]

When Julie needed to get her passport copy certified to apply for an ITIN (which was denied by the IRS - the twits), she received it back in 3 days flat. They say 5-7 working days for the visa on the website - 1-3 for the sticker to be generated and 3-5 for the Express Mail.

But I just read a very confusing story about a woman who had her interview in Sydney on May 20th, was given the "You are approved" piece of paper, but her passport is STILL not back to her. She went into AP - or so she was told, and then they told her it WASN'T in AP, but they were still reviewing. I think her folder must have ended up on the bottom of some pile. She is devastated, as you can imagine!

So I don't think we can count on anything, really, until the passport is back in our hands. That said, we are still trying to plan for a 15th or 16th getaway. We are also shipping a cat back to the US, so I'm trying to do the logistics for ALL of us!

Sukie in Oz

Wow! That story kind of scares me, as I am just about ready to buy our tickets home for about 2 weeks after the interview date (when we finally get it). Maybe I should wait to buy the plane tickets till after the interview....but the thing is that it will cost me thousands more if I wait that long to buy them. Don't know what to do. Ugh...

[ariendj 39]

Wow! That story kind of scares me, as I am just about ready to buy our tickets home for about 2 weeks after the interview date (when we finally get it). Maybe I should wait to buy the plane tickets till after the interview....but the thing is that it will cost me thousands more if I wait that long to buy them. Don't know what to do. Ugh...

I was in the same situation as you.

My interview is on July 8 and i bought transferable tickets for July 18.

either get refundable or transferable tickets and fix the date,so you can save some money.

[Lakehouse 293]

Thank you so much to both! I don't think I'll get any work done tomorrow 'cause I'll be staring at my phone every minute, waiting for my wife to call with the news.

Lakehouse, what's your smiley holding in its hand??

lol, I assumed it was flowers or a pom-pom, but the more I look at it, the less certain I become

[MoBar65 520]

The weekend before CC I completely fell apart, so much so it scared my husband. He'd never seen me so defeated before. Him not being here to comfort me made it worse for both of us. Ugh lol

I'm oddly calm about waiting for the interview date, even though the date could potentially cause chaos (conflicting travel plans for our anniversary)!

Thank you!!! :-) I love seeing my blog map light up with all the countries where people are reading from! No one from Russia yet though... lol

You can tick off another country - Kuwait

Wow! That story kind of scares me, as I am just about ready to buy our tickets home for about 2 weeks after the interview date (when we finally get it). Maybe I should wait to buy the plane tickets till after the interview....but the thing is that it will cost me thousands more if I wait that long to buy them. Don't know what to do. Ugh...

When Julie needed to get her passport copy certified to apply for an ITIN (which was denied by the IRS - the twits), she received it back in 3 days flat. They say 5-7 working days for the visa on the website - 1-3 for the sticker to be generated and 3-5 for the Express Mail.

But I just read a very confusing story about a woman who had her interview in Sydney on May 20th, was given the "You are approved" piece of paper, but her passport is STILL not back to her. She went into AP - or so she was told, and then they told her it WASN'T in AP, but they were still reviewing. I think her folder must have ended up on the bottom of some pile. She is devastated, as you can imagine!

So I don't think we can count on anything, really, until the passport is back in our hands. That said, we are still trying to plan for a 15th or 16th getaway. We are also shipping a cat back to the US, so I'm trying to do the logistics for ALL of us!

Sukie in Oz

Some thoughts on this matter from some trials I did with United Airlines reservations system:

1. Sometimes you can get heavily discounted fares for flights next week, depending on date and destination. Just switching from Fri to Wed on the same week showed nearly half the fare.

2. With non-refundable tickets, you can change flight date for $350 for international flights ($200 for domestics) plus fare difference.

3. Buying a flexible ticket is also a hit or miss. Mostly miss as you would pay nearly discounted business class fair for a flexible coach fare.

Personally, I would delay booking until the moment I exit the Consulate with an approval, then book at least a week in advance. Don't underestimate the tasks you need to do to uproot and immigrate. Some of them you've probably mentally blocked to avoid disappointment without you're even aware of it!

lol, I assumed it was flowers or a pom-pom, but the more I look at it, the less certain I become

It looks like a vial of lucky potion ala Harry Potter.