For those who have recently had early morning interviews...

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

Hey all -- I need your help here. We have an early (8.30 am) interview at the Embassy on Tuesday, and we were planning on showing up at around 7.30am to start queueing. If you were a recent interviewee at the London Embassy with an 8am or 8.30am interview, when did you start queueing, and when were you let in? Did they wait until 8am to start letting the 8am people in, or did people start getting through before then? We don't mind hanging around a bit, but we just wanted to get an idea of how long we should expect to be dawdling outside from recent experience.

Thanks everyone!

[Leney 0]

Here's my hubby's interview thread (http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=67024&st=0&p=885885entry885885), his interview wasn't that early, but he took a bus from Glasgow to London and was there *very* early. An armed guard chased him off a park bench near the embassy as he was there too early. If no one is queuing that early, I'd suggest walking about until you see they are.

[Mags 112]

I was an October 2006 interviewee, so not THAT recent....but I had a 9am interview, got there at 8.50am, was in the embassy waiting for my interview by 9.15am. Out by 10am.

Edited June 16, 2007 by mags

[Lansbury 19]

Hey all -- I need your help here. We have an early (8.30 am) interview at the Embassy on Tuesday, and we were planning on showing up at around 7.30am to start queueing. If you were a recent interviewee at the London Embassy with an 8am or 8.30am interview, when did you start queueing, and when were you let in? Did they wait until 8am to start letting the 8am people in, or did people start getting through before then? We don't mind hanging around a bit, but we just wanted to get an idea of how long we should expect to be dawdling outside from recent experience.

Thanks everyone!

We got there just before 8.30 for a 9am interview and the queue had about 20 people in it then. We were inside well before 9

[TracyTN 237]

At Chas' interview last week, he arrived in the queue at 8:40 and was inside at the stroke of 9 (which was his interview time). I bet if you got there at 8 or shortly after, you'd be fine. I suspect they don't even open until 8 anyway.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

Thanks everyone! I hope I can convince the boy that we don't need to be there quite so early. I have a funny feeling we'll still be stupid early and bumming around Grosvenor Square, as he is chronically early for everything...

[homesick_american 1]

We arrived early for my husband's interview and since the queues were massive and security tight, we did not get in until right before his interview time. The thing is, nobody seemed to be paying any attention to interview times the day we were there.

[truffles 2]

I didnt have an early appointment time 10.30 in April ( not recent) - when i got there there seemed to be three queues - however the security people seemed to be filtering a few from each queue so i was in the embassy building before my allotted interview time. Dont know if this is typical but just offering my experience - to be honest if it is early appointment - probably only going to be one queue that early in the morning Good luck anyways!

[Dan&Tiffany 0]

Thanks everyone! I hope I can convince the boy that we don't need to be there quite so early. I have a funny feeling we'll still be stupid early and bumming around Grosvenor Square, as he is chronically early for everything...

Hehe! And I just worry that Dan gets there in time. He tends to lean towards the "chronically late" side. Bless him, can't say much - I'm nearly as bad.

[kins 0]

They weren't paying all that much attention to interview times when I was there earlier this month either.

Loads of people in the queue outside were panicking that they wouldn't get inside in time for their interview appointment, but really the interview time seems to just be a way of getting people to arrive at vaguely the right time, then you just take a ticket inside and wait to be called anyway.

If that made any sense...?

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

Hehe! And I just worry that Dan gets there in time. He tends to lean towards the "chronically late" side. Bless him, can't say much - I'm nearly as bad.

I'm chronically 5-10 mins late for most things. I try so hard, but I never seem to pull it off in the end. Bruce is always early due to his profession -- actors (and when say actors, I mean those who do the day-in, day-out slog, not the megastars who swan about as and when they like) need to be early or they are not going to be around for long. You get a bad reputation for being late and you can kiss your chances at a career good-bye. I drive him loo-loo because I'm much more flexible about time -- when it's an external meeting with a company chairman, I'm early. When it's meeting the boy in town for lunch, maybe not so early. Maybe even...late?

They weren't paying all that much attention to interview times when I was there earlier this month either.

Loads of people in the queue outside were panicking that they wouldn't get inside in time for their interview appointment, but really the interview time seems to just be a way of getting people to arrive at vaguely the right time, then you just take a ticket inside and wait to be called anyway.

If that made any sense...?

Yep kins -- that made total sense. I still have the impression that I will be yawning and stretching in the queue at 7.30am, though! He wants it over. We're both total wrecks at the moment, neither of us is sleeping properly. Bruce pinched a nerve in his back yesterday and spent an agonising night where he wasn't able to really ever snooze for longer than an hour at a go. I know this because I was up talking to him and rubbing Deep Heat in his back!

[bevray 0]

Hi just got back from my interview this morning. My interview time was 8.30 and I arrived at the embassy about 7.20 there were about seven people in front of me and at 7.30 the lady started to check paperwork and direct you to the right line. I got into the embassy about 7.40 and I was given ticket no 001 so was the first for imigrant visas. I was called at 8.00 to handover paperwork and have fingerprints taken and then waited till 8.20 I was seen before the 8.00 appointments. Interview took less than 5 minutes and then over to the courier pay. Good luck for tomorrow.

Bev

Hi just got back from my interview this morning. My interview time was 8.30 and I arrived at the embassy about 7.20 there were about seven people in front of me and at 7.30 the lady started to check paperwork and direct you to the right line. I got into the embassy about 7.40 and I was given ticket no 001 so was the first for imigrant visas. I was called at 8.00 to handover paperwork and have fingerprints taken and then waited till 8.20 I was seen before the 8.00 appointments. Interview took less than 5 minutes and then over to the courier pay. Good luck for tomorrow.

Bev

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

Hi just got back from my interview this morning. My interview time was 8.30 and I arrived at the embassy about 7.20 there were about seven people in front of me and at 7.30 the lady started to check paperwork and direct you to the right line. I got into the embassy about 7.40 and I was given ticket no 001 so was the first for imigrant visas. I was called at 8.00 to handover paperwork and have fingerprints taken and then waited till 8.20 I was seen before the 8.00 appointments. Interview took less than 5 minutes and then over to the courier pay. Good luck for tomorrow.

Bev

Bev -- so you got it??? Hooray!!! Let me be the first to say CONGRATULATIONS!

Your explanation was so clear -- now I think maybe showing up at 7.30am isn't such a bad idea (*scratches chin*). Thanks for the good luck -- I'll be updating the Interview Thread later this afternoon to show your big red APPROVED!

[Dan&Tiffany 0]

Hi just got back from my interview this morning. My interview time was 8.30 and I arrived at the embassy about 7.20 there were about seven people in front of me and at 7.30 the lady started to check paperwork and direct you to the right line. I got into the embassy about 7.40 and I was given ticket no 001 so was the first for imigrant visas. I was called at 8.00 to handover paperwork and have fingerprints taken and then waited till 8.20 I was seen before the 8.00 appointments. Interview took less than 5 minutes and then over to the courier pay. Good luck for tomorrow.

Bev

Hi just got back from my interview this morning. My interview time was 8.30 and I arrived at the embassy about 7.20 there were about seven people in front of me and at 7.30 the lady started to check paperwork and direct you to the right line. I got into the embassy about 7.40 and I was given ticket no 001 so was the first for imigrant visas. I was called at 8.00 to handover paperwork and have fingerprints taken and then waited till 8.20 I was seen before the 8.00 appointments. Interview took less than 5 minutes and then over to the courier pay. Good luck for tomorrow.

Bev

Yaaa Hooo! Congrats to you, Bev!!

[MaydayDas 1]

Elmcitymaven, finally your turn is tomorrow. I wish you good luck in that "torture" place ja ja ja and let's here tomorrow about your approval