How long to get the visa after the interview?

[Hank_ 9,174]

1 minute ago, Ljay said:

Hi, Hank... so my fiancee was approved on the day of her interview. Hassle free. Based on recent timelines, how long has it been taking for visas to be issued? Her interview was on June 18. Would she have known right away at her interview if they needed additional docs? What does this 221g look like anyway? She was given the domestic violence pamphlet and a slip that explained how to register her visa packet delivery address. So.... all good signs?

Approved at the interview isn't really "approved" ... actual approval doesn't happen until you see ISSUED on the CEAC website.

 

Status will go there READY, AP and finally ISSUED.    Keep a watch on the CEAC website, once you see ISSUED it can be 2-3 more days before the visa package is with 2GO for delivery.    The embassy states 5-10 days for delivery after issued status.

[Hank_ 9,174]

2 minutes ago, Ljay said:

Is the 221g issued on the day of the interview? Or can they approve your visa at the interview and send a 221g afterwards?

It is possible to receive a 221g later, during AP, but that is rare.  If the CO asks for additional documents  a 221g will be issued, the embassy normally sends it by email these days, I do hear of a few that get a paper handed to them at the interview, but the majority receive the 221g as an email.   Do check your spam folder for this.

 

 

[Ljay 0]

1 hour ago, Hank_ said:

It is possible to receive a 221g later, during AP, but that is rare.  If the CO asks for additional documents  a 221g will be issued, the embassy normally sends it by email these days, I do hear of a few that get a paper handed to them at the interview, but the majority receive the 221g as an email.   Do check your spam folder for this.

 

 

Yes, we've checked our emails (spam folder included) and have received nothing. Her visa status is still in AP last I checked yesterday. They did not ask her for additional docs at the interview.

[Hank_ 9,174]

1 hour ago, Ljay said:

Yes, we've checked our emails (spam folder included) and have received nothing. Her visa status is still in AP last I checked yesterday. They did not ask her for additional docs at the interview.

 

Then everything is going along normal.  Just more patience ... 

[Mike V 56]

It took about a month for us.

 

Their embassy interview was on 9 June 2017. 

 

They asked for a police report on a misspelling of her maiden name that had been on her original birth certificate.

 

She returned to Cebu and ordered the police report.  They told her to return in N days.  I told her to go back in N/2 days & see if it was done.  It was.

 

So she sent it to the embassy and waited and waited and ....

 

Eventually I told her to call them.  Calls would not go through from Cebu  to the embassy thanks to the wonderful Philippine phone system..  It took 2-3 days to connect.

 

And the embassy said "oops, we're sorry,, we missed that police report when it arrived" and proceeded to issue the visas.

 

The visas then arrived via 2GO in early July 2017.

 

Then they needed to finish the CFO obstacle course.  She had done the interview but hadn't known to bring the kids along, and they wouldn't give her the certificates & stickers until she had the visa in their passports.

 

I googled for info about CFO counseling in Cebu and learned that there was a particular day of the week & time you could show up without an appointment and likely get in.  She didn't believe me, but it worked. 

 

I was finally able to buy our plane tickets on 17 July 2017 (RT for me, 3 x one-way for them).  I left for Cebu on 22 July; we all arrived back in the U.S. via the JFK port of entry on 26 July.

 

We were married on 27 July 2017.

 

On 28 July I drove them to Oshkosh to see the annual airshow on Sat 29 July -- B-1, B-2, B-52, day show, night show, fireworks, welcome to America, kids!

 

 

[Mike V 56]

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On 6/25/2019 at 8:02 AM, Ljay said:

Yes, we've checked our emails (spam folder included) and have received nothing. Her visa status is still in AP last I checked yesterday. They did not ask her for additional docs at the interview.

 

If you've provided all they've asked for and  2-3 weeks have gone by, it won't hurt to call the embassy.  That call would best be made by fiancé in the Philippines, since the visa applications are in her (their) name(s)

[Zach2015 211]

@Ljay, I can't comment on your case, but my fiancé had her interview on June 28 and her visa status as today was issued. We are still waiting for her to get the text to go pick it up. With a holiday week we aren't sure it will be this week.

[Hank_ 9,174]

11 minutes ago, Zach2015 said:

@Ljay, I can't comment on your case, but my fiancé had her interview on June 28 and her visa status as today was issued. We are still waiting for her to get the text to go pick it up. With a holiday week we aren't sure it will be this week.

That was fast!  Excellent news!     

[John & Rose 7,239]

We interviewed on June 25 and were issued on June 27.  I certainly can't complain about that!