Medical done

[Dan&Tiffany 0]

Hear! Hear! to all of those of us fussy about London slowing down and being miserable and impatient and miserable and pissed off and...did I mention miserable? I really need to throw a good mad fit.

[rebeccajo 14]

I am sweating it. It will not be okay until it is done. I want my interview date. I want to plan my life. The bloom is off the NOA2 rose since we're at this stage right now with no further information.

I don't find anything more rewarding. I find it frustrating.

Things have slowed - we missed the rush.

I'm going to have Tim re-send packet 3 with a cover letter saying "disregard if this has already been attended to" or some such language. He's leaving town again, and I see no reason to waste more time if the packet did, in fact, get lost in the post or the shuffle. Maybe it will be wasted postage, but that's fine. What else can we do?

Maybe the status will change by this afternoon, but I'm not optimistic.

Daisy....if you're sweating and the bloom is off, that's really no ones fault but your own.

Honestly, why do you put yourself through this? You are processing through THE least rigid, most flexible, fastest consulate on the planet. WHY are you so constantly wound up?

I understand you want to plan your life. You want to put down deposits for the wedding. You are tired of being alone and you want Tim here. I remember having all the same feelings. I'm a strong woman (like you) who likes to 'drive the bus' - I can be impatient, bullheaded and determined. But - I never never tortured myself the way you do.

Take a good long hard look around VJ at the wait times from some of these consulates and the horror stories of the interviews. Read these folks stories - some will break your heart.

I know - it's your case, your life and you feel like you need to be doing something about it daily. But Tim's P3 is not lost. It's just in the system. You aren't any more special or deserving than any other couple processing through that consulate. They will get to you when they get to you. They will give him a date, he will show up at the appointed hour and time, and they will spend about five minutes interviewing him.

You've either got to be about 50 pounds lighter or 1000 hairs more gray than you were when this started. I know you find it really really hard to believe - but this part of your life will end up being one of the sweetest, most interesting stories of your history as a couple. The story of what it took to begin your life and what you did to be together. When you look back on it a few years from now (as I do) you'll understand. I only wish you could see that now.

Becca

[Tim and Bethanie 1]

I am sweating it. It will not be okay until it is done. I want my interview date. I want to plan my life. The bloom is off the NOA2 rose since we're at this stage right now with no further information.

I don't find anything more rewarding. I find it frustrating.

Things have slowed - we missed the rush.

I'm going to have Tim re-send packet 3 with a cover letter saying "disregard if this has already been attended to" or some such language. He's leaving town again, and I see no reason to waste more time if the packet did, in fact, get lost in the post or the shuffle. Maybe it will be wasted postage, but that's fine. What else can we do?

Maybe the status will change by this afternoon, but I'm not optimistic.

Daisy....if you're sweating and the bloom is off, that's really no ones fault but your own.

Honestly, why do you put yourself through this? You are processing through THE least rigid, most flexible, fastest consulate on the planet. WHY are you so constantly wound up?

I understand you want to plan your life. You want to put down deposits for the wedding. You are tired of being alone and you want Tim here. I remember having all the same feelings. I'm a strong woman (like you) who likes to 'drive the bus' - I can be impatient, bullheaded and determined. But - I never never tortured myself the way you do.

Take a good long hard look around VJ at the wait times from some of these consulates and the horror stories of the interviews. Read these folks stories - some will break your heart.

I know - it's your case, your life and you feel like you need to be doing something about it daily. But Tim's P3 is not lost. It's just in the system. You aren't any more special or deserving than any other couple processing through that consulate. They will get to you when they get to you. They will give him a date, he will show up at the appointed hour and time, and they will spend about five minutes interviewing him.

You've either got to be about 50 pounds lighter or 1000 hairs more gray than you were when this started. I know you find it really really hard to believe - but this part of your life will end up being one of the sweetest, most interesting stories of your history as a couple. The story of what it took to begin your life and what you did to be together. When you look back on it a few years from now (as I do) you'll understand. I only wish you could see that now.

Becca

Well stated. Daisy take a deep breath and relax this will all be done before you know it and long forgotten in a matter of weeks once Tim arrives.

[TracyTN 237]

I was SO grateful to be out of the hell that was CSC, I could have kissed the world just for our case to be in London!

*typo, dammit*

Edited June 14, 2007 by TracyTN

[Linababe 0]

I am sweating it. It will not be okay until it is done. I want my interview date. I want to plan my life. The bloom is off the NOA2 rose since we're at this stage right now with no further information.

I don't find anything more rewarding. I find it frustrating.

Things have slowed - we missed the rush.

I'm going to have Tim re-send packet 3 with a cover letter saying "disregard if this has already been attended to" or some such language. He's leaving town again, and I see no reason to waste more time if the packet did, in fact, get lost in the post or the shuffle. Maybe it will be wasted postage, but that's fine. What else can we do?

Maybe the status will change by this afternoon, but I'm not optimistic.

Daisy...... I totally understand, I dont want to tell you to relax and say things like it will all be over soon and Tim will be with you soon - be patient etc because I know when you are in that situation it is still so hard but to worry. I will tell you that I was in the same boat as you and still kinda am!! last year when my David and I started the K1 process I took over the reins and pushed everything, was ontop of everything and new exactly where my case was etc. I did all the calling on the phones, emails etc. But in my case this caused alot of friction with my David and me - and well two weeks before the interview he broke things off - ok well thats not happening with you two as when I met tim I got the feeling he is a calm sort of guy - laid back and relaxed - either that or he didnt show his frustrations lol. Well my david and I worked our issues out and well I decided to take a leaf out of his book this time - he keeps telling me - you can only do what you can do one day at a time. You have seen my posts and the letters I have to get for my medical etc so our visa is delayed - I freaked just like you did - I panicked How the hell am I gonna get all this in time? I want to be in Ohio with my beloved, NOW!! I miss him so much!! well all this stuf was going through my mind and I made myself ill in the last few days - got so run down that i got a sore throat which got into a cold and now i have a very chesty cough etc and feel so drained.

Girly what I am saying is - stay calm and try to have a little patience - I noticed you said you keep calling the DOS line to find out what the state is etc every day - well you know the saying " the phone wont ring if you constantly wait for it" or something like that - but you get my meaning - let it go - have faith your case is in the right hands - do something different to occupy your mind better still get off this forum for a day - I know it helped me a great deal to cope because I used to sit here day to day watching everyones timelines etc and it really stressed me out wondering what happend to us. Try to do this - and you will see that you will get an interview alot sooner!! As the last two posters said - you are virtually on the last run of the ladder and Tim will be there soon - as for me - I still have to get my letters together i'm estimating the embassy getting everything around middle of July and by the time they evaluate everything i dont think Ill get an Approved or NOT aproved till end july/early august and there is nothing I can do about that but just wait. I know this is so hard as I had expected to be with my baby in september but I have yet to sell my house so thats more months i will be waiting:( but as my beloved always says - no rush, we talk everyday, he aint going anywhere soon and neither am I and its all in their hands now - just be patient, have fun, and enjoy life for what it is and relax

This is my penny's worth lol but girly I understand how you feel keep your chin up.

Lina (UKC)

[rebeccajo 14]

Lina - that's the most right on post ever!

[TimsDaisy 0]

Look guys, thanks for your thoughts. I'm not over here crying my eyes out. I'm pissed and I don't feel like saying "I'm frustrated" to people here in non-VJ world because they don't get it and I'd have to start explaining the WHOLE process again (and we all know how tiring it is to go through it again and again).

I don't think I'm handling this poorly. I vent. I vent here. If you think I'm being overly hysterical, I'm sorry for that impression. I'm not.

And while I absolutely feel for those stuck in hellish Embassy situations, caught in AP, or facing years-long wait times for interviews, or getting denials, I can never truly understand their situation or feel their pain, so for me, mine is as bad as it gets. There's a reason I post my London-related frustrations here and not somewhere else. It's akin to a VSC filer saying "but it's been 40 days! where's my NOA2, what's going on?" We all want to smack them in the heads, but really, I understand their frustration too because they have expectations and hopes and when things go off track it hurts all of us the same way.

I'm not torturing myself.

I know it's WORLDS easier to say "hang in there" after you've passed whatever hurdle someone else is stressing about. I do it for people waiting for their NOA2s, and I largely hate myself for doing so.

I chin-up and hang-in-there in my daily life just fine. But sometimes I need to say "ugh, this sucks." So I say it here. But I still go about my day, do my work, hang out with friends, etc, etc.

I'm fine with my routine - I call to check with the State Dept - I don't cry or scream on the phone. I just check, say thanks, they say call back later, I hang up. Done.

I'm not sure I ever blamed anyone else for my stress. Just "The Process."

So, I know your hearts are in the right place, but gently scolding me for my feelings is kinda ineffective. I hardly think I posted a screed or even that much of a rant up there.

Sometimes, you just have to say "I don't like this."

I'm sure that through the mental magic of cognative dissonance, after Tim is here, I too can slip on some rosy-colored shades and explain that "it all looks much better from the other side," because it will look better. But that doesn't change the validity of the frustration of those still going through the process.

[TimsDaisy 0]

As for the phone-calling, again, just to highlight, it's different strokes for different folks. Some get more stressed if they call and hear "no change," I get stressed if I don't. But I don't stress about calling. I just make a call - it takes 5 - 10 minutes waiting on the phone and with the magic of speaker-phone, i'm still working on other things. So the cost of feeling proactive for me is virtually nothing. It may sound stressful to people here, but it keeps me happy.

[TracyTN 237]

I hear you Daisy - it is all about perspective. 'As bad as it gets' for me was the 128 day wait from CSC, with no way to even get information. At least at this stage, you can call the visa center number and get confirmation when they do have packet 3 input. If that takes 3 weeks, its still a helluva lot better than CSC, and at least you CAN find out what's going on.

In that way, I am struggling to understand how this could be 'as bad as it gets', but hey, horses for courses.

[TimsDaisy 0]

Yeah, CSC was as bad as it got when I was at that point. But see "cognative dissonance" above. Yes, I was sadder between the time between two touches and the actual NOA2 than I am now. But right now, I'm annoyed that they haven't confirmed that they've received it. We aren't out of the normal bounds of this step, I know. But there was, you'll admit, a nice run of quick p3/p4 turnarounds, I was hoping to ride that wave and not miss it. Seems like we did. Oh well, what can you do?

(p.s. my answer to "what can you do" is, call to see if there's progress, re-send the package, and say "argh, frustrated!" here on VJ. and then to continue with my day.")

[TracyTN 237]

Oh I don't disagree with you AT ALL on that one! Definite slow down on the pkt 3/4 turnarounds. (I still can't believe ours, it seems nearly illogical, really.) I think we all knew the 'fast wave' would end but we just didn't know when.

I hope resending the package doesn't confuse them somehow. IF I was going to resend anything, I'd just resend the checklist, maybe with a note saying you couldn't remember if you'd put it in with the first package.

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

as bad as it got for me is waiting in name check hell during AOS with no end in sight

Daisy - you are making me feel nervous for you! It has only been 2 weeks! Am I wrong in thinking that 2 packet 3s at this point could only make matters worse? The last thing I would want to do is confuse them.

[TracyTN 237]

I thought the same thing, robinlake. Which is why I suggested sending just the checklist (if you insist on re-sending anything).

I think 4 -6 weeks used to be more like the average between pkt 3/4. The only time its not been that way was during the 'fast time'.

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

How fast did people get during the "fast period"?

I always saw (though not followed carefully in a bit) at least a 4 week wait if not longer, with the receipt of packet 3 often not acknowleged until very soon before receiving 4.

[TracyTN 237]

We mailed our pkt 3 back on a Monday (we assume they got it on Tuesday) and had packet 4 in the mail Saturday. They actually generated the interview letter on Thursday.

I think 4-6 weeks between the two was usually standard.