After the medical...

[GoodbyeGirl 144]

Hey everyone

Newbie here, first post. I can't shake this feeling that I'm supposed to be doing something rather than just waiting for my visa interview date to come through.

Any advice or reassurance would be massively helpful.

I've been studying the K1 London guide on this site (very helpful, thank you) but I'm still not sure who schedules the interview and how I hear about it, ie post, email? And does my fiance get the same notification.

I completed my medical on 3 June, the results went to the US London Embassy on 11 June. Before then I submitted the DS-160, and on 21 May after following all the steps, I sent in the Notification of Applicant Readiness online form.

My finance sent me a new intent to marry letter as it looks like our priority date 27 Feb, will likely expire before the interview.

The DoS visa status check shows our status as 'ready' and was last updated on 17 June.

The NVC (we're with California) tell me our visa will now be dealt with by the Embassy. I've mailed them a couple of times using their website contact form, but it's been weeks and I've not heard back.

When I call the Embassy number for K1 interviews they tell me there's no record of our case, but I'm wondering if that's because it's not ready yet to schedule the interview.

According to the Embassy site, I should hear back around 6 weeks after submitting the Notification of Applicant Readiness, so by my reckoning that's around 3 July.

My fear is that I'm waiting in vain.

[GoodbyeGirl 144]

Hey everyone

Newbie here, first post. I can't shake this feeling that I'm supposed to be doing something rather than just waiting for my visa interview date to come through.

Any advice or reassurance would be massively helpful.

I've been studying the K1 London guide on this site (it's great) but I'm still not sure who schedules the interview and how I hear about it, ie post, email? And does my fiance get the same notification.

I completed my medical on 3 June, the results went to the US London Embassy on 11 June. Before then I submitted the DS-160, and on 21 May after following all the steps, I sent in the Notification of Applicant Readiness online form.

My finance sent me a new intent to marry letter as it looks like our priority date 27 Feb, will likely expire before the interview.

The DoS visa status check shows our status as 'ready' and was last updated on 17 June.

The NVC (we're with California) tell me our visa will now be dealt with by the Embassy. I've mailed them a couple of times using their website contact form, but it's been weeks and I've not heard back.

When I call the Embassy number for K1 interviews they tell me there's no record of our case, but I'm wondering if that's because it's not ready yet to schedule the interview.

According to the Embassy site, I should hear back around 6 weeks after submitting the Notification of Applicant Readiness, so by my reckoning that's around 3 July.

My fear is that I'm waiting in vain.

Perhaps I should explain my anxiety. When we got the letter from the Embassy saying our visa was with them, I wasn't sure what to do next (all my documents were ready) and called them. I was told to wait to hear from the NVC as they would schedule my medical. I wasted 3 weeks before taking a run at it again and realised I had to do a bunch of stuff to get the medical sorted myself. I'm worried it's the same thing with the interview.

Edited June 19, 2015 by GoodbyeGirl

[Cody and Daisy 373]

You say you've been waiting weeks?

The embassy has only had your case for one week.

It can take up to 3 weeks to receive the interview letter, after they process your case, review the medical and all he nitty bitty stuff in between.

And only the beneficiary hears from the embassy, since no2 the petitioners part is done.

(Petitioner petitions to apply for a k1, beneficiary actually applies for the k1)

You can keep trying to contact them to find the date sooner, from what I've witnessed and gone through the interview is usually a month from the medical.

Bare in mind everything that is also going on in the news right now about the cyber attacks, this put a slowdown on the release of approved visas and could be causing a delay in interviews.

Give it another week or two.

- ridiculous that they told you that they schedule the interview. Of course we do that.

But they do schedule the interview, you have no choice in that matter.

Edited June 19, 2015 by Cody and Daisy

[Cody and Daisy 373]

Also check out this topic.

2015 medical to interview --http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/549078-medical-to-interview-date-how-long-2015-data/

[GoodbyeGirl 144]

Hey thanks so much for your reply.

It's been a few weeks since we sent in the notification of readiness, but the embassy has had my medical results just just over a week.

We've been waiting weeks for a reply to a message I sent the embassy back in March on something else, so I wasn't hopeful I'd get a response on scheduling the interview.

You seem much further ahead than me. I was expecting to hear when my interview date was scheduled about 6 weeks after sending in the notification, and then it would be at least a month from that date, as I think they give 4 weeks notice of the interview.

The NVC and embassy have both told me that me and my fiance will hear about the interview date - didn't think that sounded right.

Thanks for the sage words, I'll stop stalking our postman!

[Sarahnick 19]

First, did you get a check list from your embassy that they have your case?

When they receive your case they will email you the list of necessary documents to gather for the interview. I scheduled my interview myself on ustraveldocs (you should wait until you get a notification from your embassy tho)

Since you already have done your medical - it is from that date and 6months ahead you have to travel with your approved k1 visa.

Right now NO visas are being printed as of the system being stupid - could be why you aren't getting anything from your embassy?

I was approved on June 11th and I'm still waiting for my passport (other say it took them only a few days to get the visa/passport back at my embassy in Sweden)

[Sarahnick 19]

Oh and also, when the Cali center approve your application it gets sent to NVC - it can get stuck there for number of weeks. It took around a month for ours to get to Stockholm from our noa2 date.

[Ontarkie 14,221]

~~Duplicate threads merged~~

[GoodbyeGirl 144]

Thanks for all the replies.

Yes, I did get a letter from the embassy in London letting me know they have our case, the case number and to now gather documents. That's where I made a mistake as I'd already gathered most of the necessary documents at the start of the process, so wasn't sure what to do next.

But now with the medical out of the way, I feel more confident that our visa is in the system and that I should have the interview date soon. The current visa processing difficulties may well cause delays, but I'm really hoping that won't happen.

My worry was that no one was doing anything as the NVC and embassy each said I would hear from the other. But from the advice on the site, looks like all is in hand and I need to take some deep breaths and be patient - not a skill I possess.

I've just seen someone posted they got their interview date 2 weeks after the medical, and they had theirs the same day as me at Knightsbridge Doctors, 3 June, so that sounds hopeful!

[raven52 233]

I do not think you are waiting in "vain" by any means.

I do think the whole immigration process is going to be in a "snail's pace" until they are able to print visas. This might happen next week, the foreign embassy's being able to print visas.

But, how much of a back log, is there. Last year about same time, same situation (I think this was as "first reported" a cyber attack by China" and I have read where there was a 200,000 visa

back log of visas. I do not know what this means, it just does not sound good.

It sounds like long waits, for all visa issues. The USCIS is such a "smooth running machine!"

[Unidentified 2,930]

It sounds like long waits, for all visa issues. The USCIS is such a "smooth running machine!"

With the risk of sounding nit-picky but USCIS has nothing to do with this. This is at the embassy stage. I think you're referring to the Department of State, they're the ones who were attacked though they claim it's a hardware malfunction.

[GoodbyeGirl 144]

We had some heartening news yesterday (Friday). The embassy replied to me (I'd messaged them Tuesday via their website contact form) to let me know they have my medical results and all the documents needed and to expect get my interview date in the next 4 weeks. So a response within 3 days!

Our case status date changed to 19 June too, so I'm really hoping this means the interview has been scheduled, rather than the reply to my query prompting the date change. Our status is still 'ready' so I'm taking that as a positive sign.

Thanks for replying to my post Raven. I too am concerned about delays and how much of a back log is building up but I've learnt (the hard way ) to keep a steady pace with this process, otherwise I will lose my remaining marbles.

If it helps anyone reading this, here's how to avoid the mistake I made with getting confused over what to do once you receive the letter from the embassy saying to 'gather documents'.

Do go back to the London embassy site, to 'The Petition has Been Approved, What Do I Do Next?'. The first bit tells you where your visa petition was filed determines the next step. Then it goes on to say if it was filed in the States (ours was) then the NVC will process your application and there's a link taking you to the DoS US visa site.

That's where I headed off to, didn't find the next steps, got confused and ended up wasting time (and money) calling and emailing the NVC and embassy for some help.

What I should have done, is stayed on the London US embassy site and carried on reading the '... what do I do next' section as the final para, starting 'For those of you applying for a fiancé(e) visa (K-1 or K-2' takes you to this very clear set of instructions detailing exactly what you need to do.

I'm kicking myself that I lost 3 weeks when I could have got my medical scheduled, but hey ho, no point sweating over stuff you can't change.

[raven52 233]

Maria&Steve,

If I am not mistaken, that the US Embassy and USCIS works "hand and hand".,.,, getting a petitions approved.

When I said what I said I was referring to the inability to print visas by all foreign embassys, the complete "melt down" of the TSC, (which is taking longer than any processing center, ever)

which is all USCIS related, and you cannot disprove me. These things are facts! They are in the news, they are on web sites around the world, this is all USCIS related.

Are you mam, sir, satisfied with the USCIS and the way it is operated? I personally am not.

I was the one who first posted the ABC news saying that "it was believed China had 'hacked' the US Immigration and some parts of Home Land Security, and visas and passports would be delayed!"

Is Department of Immigration not USCIS? Its data base was hacked (of course it is now a mere database problem) but I heard the news break when it did, and immediately reported it.

Is the Department of State and USCIS directly linked, sure it is. So, you are happy with what is going on in TSC, and now a visa has not been printed in weeks, and who knows how long!

Maybe you think things are fine with Immigration in this country, I sir, mam, am not!

All I have stated can be found on various news sites, and web sites, around the world, especially the embassys.

[Mandriansmith 0]

hi guys,

I am a bit concerned as well as I have been to my medicals on the 09/05 but the embassy sent me a letter asking me if I still wanted to make an application? they received my medicals on the 19/05 I emailed the "info unit" and this is their response:

Thank you for your email.

Embassy records show that on March 8 the Immigrant Visa Unit sent you a letter notifying you that they are ready to begin processing your application. To date, there is no record of you completing and submitting the forms. Information on the steps you are required to take is available from our website at http://london.usembassy.gov/iv_15.html. No further action can be taken until you have completed the DS-160, and submitted the Notification of Applicant’s Readiness form to the Immigrant Visa Unit. See http://london.usembassy.gov/iv/notification_of_applicant_readiness.html for further information. On receipt of the form, the Immigrant Visa Unit will advise you further.

Please note that we can confirm that your medical report has been received by the Immigrant Visa Unit.

Sincerely,

I replied with a copy of my DS-160 and saying that I completed my readiness form aound the 19/05/2015

since then, no response...i am not sure what to do next? my Status on CEAC says "ready " and last update on the 19/05/2015 but I am really worried

has anyone been in this situation?

many thanks

[Mandriansmith 0]

hi guys,

I am a bit concerned as well as I have been to my medicals on the 09/05 but the embassy sent me a letter asking me if I still wanted to make an application? they received my medicals on the 19/05 I emailed the "info unit" and this is their response:

Thank you for your email.

Embassy records show that on March 8 the Immigrant Visa Unit sent you a letter notifying you that they are ready to begin processing your application. To date, there is no record of you completing and submitting the forms. Information on the steps you are required to take is available from our website at http://london.usembassy.gov/iv_15.html. No further action can be taken until you have completed the DS-160, and submitted the Notification of Applicant’s Readiness form to the Immigrant Visa Unit. See http://london.usembassy.gov/iv/notification_of_applicant_readiness.html for further information. On receipt of the form, the Immigrant Visa Unit will advise you further.

Please note that we can confirm that your medical report has been received by the Immigrant Visa Unit.

Sincerely,

I replied with a copy of my DS-160 and saying that I completed my readiness form aound the 19/05/2015

since then, no response...i am not sure what to do next? my Status on CEAC says "ready " and last update on the 19/05/2015 but I am really worried

has anyone been in this situation?

many thanks

CEAC says ready since 19/06 sorry not 19/05!!