Is IR-1 processing faster in the US Embassy in the Philippines

[Gab09282015 3]

Hi, I am a new member here. Just checking if processing your IR-1 in the US embassy in Philippines is faster. My husband started filing my IR-1 visa last March 2016. We got our priority date May 2016. We received a notification from the NVC May 2017 that we are on que for interview at the US embassy in Abu Dhabi. I live in Dubai currently. In the letter that NVC sent, it was stated that within 3 months we will get our appointment for interview but up till now, I havent received any appointment yet. its been 7 months already since we received that letter from NVC and no updates yet.  My husband and I are considering of moving my interview in the Philippines so I just thought of asking everyone here if its the right thing to do or I will just have to keep waiting here in Dubai. Please note that its not only UAE residents who are on que here but all the neighboring countries who doesnt have embassies in their countries process their US immigrant visa in the US Embassy in the UAE

[JFH 12,190]

Unfortunately Abu Dhabi is notorious for wait times of around 8 to 10 months for interview dates. It would have been quicker through Manila but I would say that now that you have already waited 7 months you should stick with Abu Dhabi as a date is likely to come through soon. The process for changing the embassy also takes some weeks as NVC have to issue a new case number, get the stuff back from Abu Dhabi and then route it to Manila. 

Edited December 17, 2017 by JFH

[Gab09282015 3]

17 minutes ago, JFH said:

Unfortunately Abu Dhabi is notorious for wait times of around 8 to 10 months for interview dates. It would have been quicker through Manila but I would say that now that you have already waited 7 months you should stick with Abu Dhabi as a date is likely to come through soon. The process for changing the embassy also takes some weeks as NVC have to issue a new case number, get the stuff back from Abu Dhabi and then route it to Manila. 

Thank you JFH for your response.  I am really hoping I would hear some great news soon. I am getting frustrated and disappointed already on how things went so far. If only we've known that its taking longer here, we could have applied my visa and set the interview in Manila. Our daughter is already 2 yrs old and we still cant go to the US because of my pending application. She's american passport holder btw but since we are still here in Dubai awaiting for my visa, we are not able to visit my husband and his family back in the States. 

[Gab09282015 3]

17 minutes ago, JFH said:

Unfortunately Abu Dhabi is notorious for wait times of around 8 to 10 months for interview dates. It would have been quicker through Manila but I would say that now that you have already waited 7 months you should stick with Abu Dhabi as a date is likely to come through soon. The process for changing the embassy also takes some weeks as NVC have to issue a new case number, get the stuff back from Abu Dhabi and then route it to Manila. 

Thank you JFH for your response.  I am really hoping I would hear some great news soon. I am getting frustrated and disappointed already on how things went so far. If only we've known that its taking longer here, we could have applied my visa and set the interview in Manila. Our daughter is already 2 yrs old and we still cant go to the US because of my pending application. She's american passport holder btw but since we are still here in Dubai awaiting for my visa, we are not able to visit my husband and his family back in the States. 

[jayjayj 571]

1 hour ago, Gab09282015 said:

Hi, I am a new member here. Just checking if processing your IR-1 in the US embassy in Philippines is faster. My husband started filing my IR-1 visa last March 2016. We got our priority date May 2016. We received a notification from the NVC May 2017 that we are on que for interview at the US embassy in Abu Dhabi. I live in Dubai currently. In the letter that NVC sent, it was stated that within 3 months we will get our appointment for interview but up till now, I havent received any appointment yet. its been 7 months already since we received that letter from NVC and no updates yet.  My husband and I are considering of moving my interview in the Philippines so I just thought of asking everyone here if its the right thing to do or I will just have to keep waiting here in Dubai. Please note that its not only UAE residents who are on que here but all the neighboring countries who doesnt have embassies in their countries process their US immigrant visa in the US Embassy in the UAE

 

1 hour ago, JFH said:

Unfortunately Abu Dhabi is notorious for wait times of around 8 to 10 months for interview dates. It would have been quicker through Manila but I would say that now that you have already waited 7 months you should stick with Abu Dhabi as a date is likely to come through soon. The process for changing the embassy also takes some weeks as NVC have to issue a new case number, get the stuff back from Abu Dhabi and then route it to Manila. 

 

That seems like an outrageous amount of time to wait for the interview.  I can't imagine how the Abu Dhabi Embassy could justify a wait time of 8-10 months for a U.S. citizen spouse interview.  We waited less than 30 days in 2014. 

 

You should have your husband contact his Senator or Representative and ask them to reach out for you.  It might help or it might not, but there is no harm in trying. The Abu Dhabi Embassy needs to be held accountable by Congress if that wait time is accurate.  By U.S. immigration law, the State Department is supposed to prioritize any petition involving a U.S. citizen, such as a spousal petition.    

[Gab09282015 3]

On 12/17/2017 at 4:49 PM, jayjayj said:

 

 

That seems like an outrageous amount of time to wait for the interview.  I can't imagine how the Abu Dhabi Embassy could justify a wait time of 8-10 months for a U.S. citizen spouse interview.  We waited less than 30 days in 2014. 

 

You should have your husband contact his Senator or Representative and ask them to reach out for you.  It might help or it might not, but there is no harm in trying. The Abu Dhabi Embassy needs to be held accountable by Congress if that wait time is accurate.  By U.S. immigration law, the State Department is supposed to prioritize any petition involving a U.S. citizen, such as a spousal petition.    

HI, thanks for your response. We have reached out to a congressman's office last Month. The funny part was, the Embassy told him that the case is still at NVC. So we have sent another follow up last week to NVC and they said, no slots yet in the US Embassy... The congressman's office will send another follow up in the embassy... Hopefully we'll hear something soon. Indeed, the wait time is outrageous. The sad part is that our 2 year old daughter is growing and was only able to spend time with her dad less than 2 months total since birth. Though she already has an american passport she cannot travel to the US without me.

[Ryan H 3,812]

Moved from IR-1/CR-1 Progress Reports to US Embassy & Consulate Discussion.