UK embassy - over 5 business days from interview and no visa

[Brooklyn23 0]

Hi all,

I had my interview last tuesday morning and it all went very smoothly, I was approved and paid my courier fee etc and after looking at the data on VJ expected to get my visa by monday. I am now starting to get a little stressed - I called SMS and the embassy has yet to release any paperwork, does anyone have any idea what could be causing the delay?

They haven't contacted me to ask for any extra information and my medical was back in January (I got the x ray at my interview so no issues there).I tried emailing but no response so far and the number they provide is useless.

Maybe it is just a busy week for them but I am super paranoid when it comes to this entire process, if anyone has had a similar experience or any words of wisdom I would really appreciate it!

Thanks,

Lauren

[J&D_anon 0]

Hi all,

I had my interview last tuesday morning and it all went very smoothly, I was approved and paid my courier fee etc and after looking at the data on VJ expected to get my visa by monday. I am now starting to get a little stressed - I called SMS and the embassy has yet to release any paperwork, does anyone have any idea what could be causing the delay?

They haven't contacted me to ask for any extra information and my medical was back in January (I got the x ray at my interview so no issues there).I tried emailing but no response so far and the number they provide is useless.

Maybe it is just a busy week for them but I am super paranoid when it comes to this entire process, if anyone has had a similar experience or any words of wisdom I would really appreciate it!

Thanks,

Lauren

I don't have the experience yet, but I heard about people, who waited a week or so for their Visa.

They got frustrated and paranoid too, but a day after they posted, they had it in their mail.

Don't worry, you will receive it. I know that, when I have my interview and they ask me, if I want them to send it, or if I want to pick it up, that I will go there again to get it.

I can't handle any more delays. I want to be with my fiance ASAP....I don't care about the extra costs!!!

So hang in there, it will come soon!!!

Diana

Edited March 28, 2007 by John&Diana

[sunset2005 0]

hi lauren

it was 3 weeks until they issued my husband's visa ( supposed to have been up to 10 business days). It took him going to the embassy and speaking face to face with someone and wouldnt you know it, THEY FORGOT TO MAIL IT!! Good Luck!

[Texas Bound 0]

hi lauren

it was 3 weeks until they issued my husband's visa ( supposed to have been up to 10 business days). It took him going to the embassy and speaking face to face with someone and wouldnt you know it, THEY FORGOT TO MAIL IT!! Good Luck!

My embassy in Kingston Jamaica is now backlogged as it appears. Im now at day 21 since my approved interview & no visa in hand. Website says 4 days. Ive called several times & was told that the NVC re checks fingerprints & they are sometimes slow to respond. My file is fine, just freakin delayed enormously. I had to fly back without my sweetie & praying he will be here for Easter. Good luck to you.

[Mags 112]

Sometimes they just take a bit longer to issue them. There are various people here who have waited up to a month for the visa to be issued. I wouldn't worry yourself too much. If there was something wrong they wouldn't have kept your passport and you would have received a letter from them by now stating the problem.

The guidelines on VJ are just that...guidelines. They are not laws written in stone, so don't assume everything runs according to what they state!

Relax a bit, it'll arrive soon enough.

[Brooklyn23 0]

Thanks for all the advice, it is good to know others are and have been in the same predicament -I have my fingers crossed for everyone.

I have since been told a range of excuses varying from 'system delays' to 'system errors' to 'we scanned your fingerprints incorrectly and had to re-send them' (they did take them 8 times on the day and despite asking, I was told their machine was working just fine...). I swear they have an email template of the day and just use it.

I don't believe the facts here are written in stone, I just like people to have some integrity and do their job, if I couldn't manage expectations at work I wouldn't have a job for too long! I didn't necessarily 100% believe they would be true to their word but I didn't expect to chase this up and then be accused of being a liar (which the dept of state told my Fiance when he passed on the consular officer's statement that I would receive my passport back within 5 days-charming!) alongside having to cancel business trips planned for 3 weeks after my interview..I do appreciate others have been in worse situations but I am also comfortable with sharing my frustrations on VJ as few others understand the issues involved...

Thanks again and good luck to you all, wherever you are in the process

Lauren

[FaK 0]

Your not alone. My passport is also sitting in the consulate waiting for them to do something about it! Same canned responses in the email same nonsence over the phone. Unfortunately there seems to be no other option then to wait it out.

Thanks,

FaK

Thanks for all the advice, it is good to know others are and have been in the same predicament -I have my fingers crossed for everyone.

I have since been told a range of excuses varying from 'system delays' to 'system errors' to 'we scanned your fingerprints incorrectly and had to re-send them' (they did take them 8 times on the day and despite asking, I was told their machine was working just fine...). I swear they have an email template of the day and just use it.

I don't believe the facts here are written in stone, I just like people to have some integrity and do their job, if I couldn't manage expectations at work I wouldn't have a job for too long! I didn't necessarily 100% believe they would be true to their word but I didn't expect to chase this up and then be accused of being a liar (which the dept of state told my Fiance when he passed on the consular officer's statement that I would receive my passport back within 5 days-charming!) alongside having to cancel business trips planned for 3 weeks after my interview..I do appreciate others have been in worse situations but I am also comfortable with sharing my frustrations on VJ as few others understand the issues involved...

Thanks again and good luck to you all, wherever you are in the process

Lauren

[flutter95 4]

Hope it comes soon, sometimes it can take awhile. I was told it could take up to 10 days after at the time, it should come soon.

[Brooklyn23 0]

Thank you all again for your comments, it is so good to share with others who have some idea of the frustrations!

Yesterday my Fiance spoke to a really friendly lady at the state dept who told him there was nothing wrong with our application but it seemed the embassy didn't send the fingerprints correctly to Washington (oops, nothing major there then!) and had to re-send everything (guess it is easy to forget they are dealing with people's lives not just numbers when they can't even manage to do the simplest things) -anyhow, she seemed to think it should be corrected 'real soon' this week but could offer no guarantees.

Today, I got a snooty email from the consulate informing me it isn't their issue, they are waiting for 'pending results' (which stressed me out as it sounds ominous despite the fact I have no criminal record/ambitions to be a terrorist etc etc) from the state dept and that was it - love how people get defensive when they know they have screwed up...What really, really gets to me is that I made a point of asking whether everything was ok with the stupid fingerprint reader on the day as they seemed to be having such issues with it. What a bunch of incompetent morons.

My Fiance again called the DOS only to speak to yet another red tape fiend (we must have lucked out with the lady yesterday) who told him it could easily take weeks to sort out...OH MY GOD, it is all such a joke. Please excuse the rant -just needed to get it out! I'm really beginning to question why the hell we didn't just have my Fiance come here instead.

I have my fingers crossed for all of us that someone in the respective embassies decides to actually do their job sometime soon. Pigs might well fly!

[Mags 112]

Well, I had to wait a month for mine, so actually I know full well what you are going through. Unfortunately, I received only one reply from an email I sent the Embassy, it stated "your visa is in the final stages of processing".

You just have to wait it out I'm afraid, nothing more you can do without making yourself even more stressed.

Edited April 4, 2007 by mags

[Brooklyn23 0]

Well, I had to wait a month for mine, so actually I know full well what you are going through. Unfortunately, I received only one reply from an email I sent the Embassy, it stated "your visa is in the final stages of processing".

You just have to wait it out I'm afraid, nothing more you can do without making yourself even more stressed.

Thanks again.Can I ask what caused the delays with yours? Just wondering if there is consistency or if it is random...

[Mags 112]

Well, I had to wait a month for mine, so actually I know full well what you are going through. Unfortunately, I received only one reply from an email I sent the Embassy, it stated "your visa is in the final stages of processing".

You just have to wait it out I'm afraid, nothing more you can do without making yourself even more stressed.

Thanks again.Can I ask what caused the delays with yours? Just wondering if there is consistency or if it is random...

They needed some additional information. Everything was all right at the interview, they told me they were happy to issue the visa, then a few days later I received a letter asking for more information.

[Wes and Shiela 2]

Well I have mixed feelings, reading this thread. I am in the same predicament as you guys. Our Manila Embassy interview went very well and we were told that once they received the medical results, the visa would be sent "right on out". Well, it's been 8 DAYS since the results were hand delivered by my fiancee (yeah, I know some of you have been waiting a lot longer, but we're talking about ME now! )

I've read where some VJers have received their visas, in just DAYS after the interview, but unfortunately, it's very random. Remember, you are dealing with "Government Bureaucracy", and when dealing with "paper shufflers", if something can go wrong, it will.

So, how do I cope? Take a deep breath, laugh it off, and come here to VJ to vent. It certainly helps to hear that others are as frustrated as me. They say "Misery loves Company", and sadly it's true.

But like mags and Fak have said, there's nothing we can do except wait it out. But keep posting. Just as "misery loves company", once your visa does arrive, the rest of us will still get a little joy to see that someone else's journey is getting closer to the end.

Edited April 5, 2007 by Wes

[Brooklyn23 0]

Well I have mixed feelings, reading this thread. I am in the same predicament as you guys. Our Manila Embassy interview went very well and we were told that once they received the medical results, the visa would be sent "right on out". Well, it's been 8 DAYS since the results were hand delivered by my fiancee (yeah, I know some of you have been waiting a lot longer, but we're talking about ME now! )

I've read where some VJers have received their visas, in just DAYS after the interview, but unfortunately, it's very random. Remember, you are dealing with "Government Bureaucracy", and when dealing with "paper shufflers", if something can go wrong, it will.

So, how do I cope? Take a deep breath, laugh it off, and come here to VJ to vent. It certainly helps to hear that others are as frustrated as me. They say "Misery loves Company", and sadly it's true.

But like mags and Fak have said, there's nothing we can do except wait it out. But keep posting. Just as "misery loves company", once your visa does arrive, the rest of us will still get a little joy to see that someone else's journey is getting closer to the end.

Thanks Wes - you are right, I just forget sometimes that we are dealing with red tape fiends and not normal compassionate half way intelligent human beings...The latest in my saga is that the state dept told my Fiance the embassy screwed up taking my fingerprints (on the 8th attempt and when I asked whether the machine was ok as they seemed to be having lots of issues with it I was told 'These will do, don't worry') and the FBI have refused to approve them as they are too low density. According to my record the embassy were aware of this the Thursday before last but instead of doing the decent thing and inviting me back in to re-take them (I'm tempted to buy an ink pad and do the job myself -there are 'how to' instructions on the FBI website that a 4 year old could follow) have continued to email me with template excuses blaming 'System delays' and have attempted this week to re-send them to the FBI.Yeah, because they won't remember not being able to approve them the first time...

What a farce!

Hope yours gets sorted out soon, at least with VJ we know the system can and does work when it wants to!

[arwensun1965 0]

Hope everything gets sorted out soon